Mangaluru woman defrauded of Rs 20 lakh in work from home job scam
Mangaluru: A woman from Mangaluru has reportedly lost over Rs 20 lakh in a work from home scam after being lured through a social media advertisement.
The incident began on May 6, when the victim came across an Instagram ad offering part-time, remote job opportunities, according to a complaint filed with the Bajpe Police, as reported by Deccan Herald.
Upon clicking the ad, she was contacted via the Telegram messaging app by an individual who assigned simple online tasks such as liking and reviewing restaurants and hotels, submitting screenshots as proof of completion.
Initially, she was told she could earn commissions for completing the tasks. To create a sense of legitimacy, the scammers credited her account with Rs 120 and assigned her a “salary code.” She was also asked to share her bank details with a Telegram user named “Meena Reddy.”
Subsequently, she was added to multiple Telegram groups, each assigning additional tasks and gradually drawing her deeper into the fraud. She was directed to register on a trading platform via a link provided by “Meena Reddy” and was told to coordinate with individual named Rajesh Verma for commission payments and task execution.
Over time, she was introduced to multiple individuals—Rohit Sharma, Lucky Singh, and Ravi Patel—each through separate Telegram links, added the report.
The scammers built credibility and trust using small payouts and staged communication. Over a series of transactions, they allegedly defrauded her of a total amount of Rs 20.62 lakh.
The accused have since stopped responding, and the money has not been returned. A case has been registered at Bajpe police station, and further investigation is underway.
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Goa nightclub blaze: Three senior government officials suspended
Panaji (PTI) Three senior officials of the Goa government, including the then Director of Panchayat, were suspended on Sunday in connection with the nightclub fire tragedy for their role in allowing the facility to start operations in 2023, a senior officer said.
A massive fire tore through the nightclub in the early hours of Sunday, claiming 25 lives, including five tourists and 20 staff members.
The suspended officials include Siddhi Tushar Harlankar, who was then Director of Panchayat, Dr Shamila Monteiro, who was then Member Secretary of the Goa State Pollution Control Board, and Raghuvir Bagkar, then Secretary of Village Panchayat Arpora-Nagoa.
They are held responsible for giving permission to 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub at Arpora to start its operations in 2023, a senior officer said.
Police questioned Roshan Redkar, the sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa Panchayat, who had issued a trade licence to the club.
