In Lucknow, two separate cybercrime incidents have left victims reeling after losing nearly ₹10 lakh to fraudsters promising work-from-home opportunities and property bookings via sophisticated digital deception.
A Promise of Remote Work Turns Costly
On April 13, Ashiyana sector resident R.M. Indu received a message through Telegram from an alleged organization named Rack Maya M, claiming to represent the group’s official woman, Ankita. Forging a sense of rapport through repeated contact and alleged affiliation, Ankita enticed Indu with lucrative work-from-home offers. What began as an enticing opportunity—“Work from home, earn at ease”—quickly devolved into a calculated manipulation. As soon as Indu requested the return of her investment, Ankita stopped answering calls and ceased all contact. The victim had already paid a total of ₹9.77 lakh across multiple transactions, only to realize the devastating loss after efforts to reclaim the funds failed.
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Property Booking Scam Extracts More Than Cash
In the city’s Vishal Khand area, another resident, Prateek Tiwari, faced similar hardship. Tiwari alleged that Praveen Srivastava, introduced as a property dealer, guaranteed a lucrative property booking deal provided Tiwari paid ₹90,000 up front. However, when Tiwari demanded reimbursement, the tone of the interaction shifted sharply. The alleged fraudster not only refused repayment but threatened Tiwari with harm should he approach authorities in Lucknow, pulling him further into fear and distress.
Scams Show Pattern: Speed and Secrecy
Though separated by circumstance and method, experts note a striking resemblance in the tactics employed. Analyst R. Triveni Singh, a former cybercrime official, observes that fraudsters exploit urgent social and economic needs. By projecting the lure of quick returns and safety, they gain trust, often through digital channels that are difficult to verify. Singh warns: “Until citizens confirm the legitimacy of investment channels and resist impulsive offers, prevention will remain challenging.” Both cases illustrate high-speed digital communications and an emphasis on secrecy and psychological manipulation as recurring hallmarks of these crimes.
Policing the Digital Maze
Lucknow Police have registered preliminary complaints and launched investigations into both incidents, urging citizens to report suspicious offers without delay. Law enforcement stresses the importance of skepticism—questioning any opportunity that lacks formal institution backing or arrives via ambiguous digital channels. As digital frauds evolve, the challenge remains for authorities to keep pace with criminals who capitalize on societal vulnerabilities and technological anonymity.