Bengaluru techie loses ₹32 lakh in fake Google review job scam involving 31 bank accounts

Bengaluru

A  software engineer from Varthur, Bengaluru, has become the latest victim of a massive online scam after being lured into a fraudulent part-time job opportunity involving fake Google review tasks. The scam, which promised easy earnings for simple online work, ultimately cost him a staggering ₹32,09,066. The FIR is registered at Whitefield CEN Police Station.

The techie was contacted on Telegram by a user named Laila Sharma (@Lailss55ggd1), who directed him to suspicious websites like flypmnx.cc and flypnsi.vip. Initially, he was asked to pay ₹500 to join the task, with the promise of high returns upon completion. As the scam progressed, he was convinced to deposit increasingly larger amounts to unlock “locked earnings.”

Also Read: Google AdSense scam: Edtech giant, Unacademy hit by ₹28.6 lakh YouTube revenue fraud

In total, the fraudsters used 31 different bank accounts to siphon the money, spreading across major banks including Axis, HDFC, ICICI, Canara, NSDL Payment Bank, North East Small Finance Bank, and others. Transactions were executed via UPI, IMPS, and RTGS. The victim recovered a mere ₹9,650 from one account before realizing the trap.

The elaborate scam was masked as a Google review job — a new trend in cyber fraud targeting tech-savvy professionals seeking side incomes.

An FIR has been filed under Section 66(D) of the IT Act and Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the BNS-2023, and the Cyber Crime Police are now tracing the digital trail to locate the culprits.

Citizens are urged to remain vigilant and avoid job offers via unknown Telegram handles or shady websites.

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Ref : IT ACT 2000 here