A seemingly harmless work-from-home opportunity promising easy earnings has cost a 51-year-old tax consultant from Pune a staggering ₹2.72 crore in an elaborate online task fraud. Cyber criminals allegedly gained the victim’s confidence through a “Google Review Work-From-Home” scheme before persuading him to make repeated payments under the promise of higher returns and lucrative rewards.
A case has been registered at the city’s Cyber Crime Police Station following a complaint filed by the victim. Preliminary investigations indicate that the fraudsters used a combination of social engineering tactics, fake online tasks, and fabricated reward systems to manipulate the complainant over a period of nearly two months.
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₹500 Reward Builds Trust
According to the complaint, the tax consultant, a resident of Bibwewadi in Pune, received a message on Telegram from a profile posing as a woman. The message advertised a work-from-home opportunity that claimed participants could earn ₹100 or more for completing simple online tasks. Interested in the prospect of additional income, the consultant responded and agreed to participate.
The fraudsters initially assigned him simple tasks that involved posting reviews on Google for various businesses and locations. After completing five review assignments, the victim was asked to submit screenshots as proof. Shortly thereafter, ₹500 was credited to his bank account as payment for the work.
Investigators believe this initial payment was a calculated move designed to establish credibility and convince the victim that the scheme was genuine. Encouraged by the successful payout, he continued participating in the program.
Telegram Group Deepens the Trap
The victim was subsequently added to a larger Telegram group and introduced to several individuals claiming to be coordinators and task managers. He was informed that greater earnings were available through “premium tasks,” which required participants to deposit money in advance. These tasks allegedly offered significantly higher returns upon completion.
To strengthen the illusion, the fraudsters reportedly arranged small returns on initial transactions, reinforcing the victim’s trust in the system. As his confidence grew, so did the amount of money he was persuaded to invest.
Over time, the fraudsters introduced a series of additional payment demands. The victim was told that more deposits were required to unlock rewards, complete higher-level assignments, or withdraw accumulated earnings. Various explanations were provided, including taxes, processing charges, account verification fees, and system upgrade costs.
33 Transactions Total ₹2.72 Crore
Believing that his funds and profits were locked within the platform, the consultant continued transferring money to multiple bank accounts. By the time he realized he had been deceived, he had made 33 separate transactions totaling ₹2.72 crore.
Investigators suspect that many of the recipient accounts were mule accounts used by cyber crime networks to rapidly move and disperse stolen funds. Such accounts often make tracing and recovering money significantly more difficult.
Experts Warn Against Task Scams
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said task-based online frauds have emerged as one of the fastest-growing forms of cyber crime. According to him, criminals typically begin by offering small rewards to gain a victim’s trust before employing sophisticated social engineering techniques to encourage larger investments. Once victims become psychologically committed and expect substantial profits, they often continue investing in an attempt to recover earlier payments, ultimately suffering even greater losses.
Cyber security experts have repeatedly warned that unsolicited job offers, review-based earning schemes, and guaranteed-return programs circulated through Telegram, WhatsApp, and social media platforms should be treated with extreme caution. Genuine employers rarely require workers to deposit money in order to earn commissions or complete assignments.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities examining bank accounts, digital transaction trails, and online profiles linked to the fraud. Citizens have been advised to verify the legitimacy of online earning opportunities and avoid transferring money to unknown individuals or platforms. Victims of cyber fraud are encouraged to report incidents immediately through the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or the official cyber crime reporting portal.
