Ahmedabad. A 42-year-old graphic designer from Ranip was allegedly cheated of ₹5.75 lakh in a cyber fraud that began with a work-from-home offer involving hotel reviews and later shifted to online trading. The fraudsters allegedly first assigned him small hotel-review tasks and made payments of ₹120 to ₹700 after completion. After gaining his confidence, they allegedly lured him with promises of higher earnings through online trading and induced him and his wife to transfer large sums through an app.
The victim has been identified as Jignesh Rajnikant Makwana, who works as a graphic designer at Swaminarayan Temple Aksharpeeth in Shahibaug. According to the complaint, the incident took place between September 3 and 7. Jignesh initially received a Telegram message from an account using the name ‘Vidya Verma’, offering him an opportunity to earn ₹4,000 to ₹6,000 per day by working from home during his free time.
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He was initially given small tasks related to hotel reviews. After completing the assigned reviews, he received payments ranging from ₹120 to ₹700 in his bank account. These initial payments allegedly helped the fraudsters establish credibility and convince him that the work was genuine. He was subsequently added to a Telegram group named “Google Coin Map Income 220 Group.”
After he joined the group, the nature of the tasks allegedly changed. A Telegram user identified as ‘Shasha’ sent Jignesh a link related to trading and instructed him to create an account on an application called ‘Oasis’. Other Telegram accounts using the names Sanjay Verma, Kamal Mishra, Dinesh Sharma and Ajay Srivastava allegedly began giving him instructions to complete different tasks.
According to the complaint, Jignesh and his wife, Mita Makwana, transferred a total of ₹6.01 lakh from their bank accounts to different accounts while following the instructions. During this process, the alleged trading platform displayed a virtual profit of around ₹3.50 lakh. The growing balance reportedly gave the couple the impression that the investment was generating genuine returns and that they would eventually be able to withdraw the money.
The situation changed when Jignesh attempted to withdraw the amount displayed on the application. The fraudsters allegedly told him that he had made a mistake while completing one of the assigned tasks. They subsequently claimed that his account had been frozen and that his credit points were too low. He was then allegedly asked to deposit additional money to release the funds.
The demand raised suspicion, as the victim realised that after initially receiving small payments, he and his wife were being persuaded to transfer increasingly larger amounts. When the alleged fraudsters continued imposing new conditions for withdrawing the money, Jignesh decided not to make any further payment and approached the authorities.
The victim contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930 and filed a complaint with the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police. An investigation has been initiated into the alleged fraud. Investigators are examining the Telegram accounts, the purported trading application, the bank accounts that received the money, the transaction trail and the mobile numbers allegedly used by those involved.
The case also highlights a commonly reported pattern in online task and investment fraud. Fraudsters may initially offer simple online assignments and make small payments to establish trust. Once the victim becomes comfortable with the process, they may introduce investment or trading activities and display apparently increasing profits on an online platform. When the victim attempts to withdraw the money, additional payments may allegedly be demanded on the pretext of taxes, fees, penalties, account activation or correction of errors.
Investigators are now working to establish the identities behind the Telegram accounts and bank accounts allegedly used in the case and trace where the ₹6.01 lakh transferred by the couple ultimately went. Police are also examining whether the same network allegedly used similar methods to target other people.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
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