Kolkata, April 16: A work-from-home scam reportedly victimised a Human Resource Executive who resides in a condo at Survey Park off EM Bypass in Kolkata, West Bengal. The latter lost a total of Rs 1.5 lakh of her savings. The victim, who is the Mother of a Class IX student, said she had gone "for an interview" and been "selected" for the position. She was required to look up a person on Telegram as part of her "interview" round; this "test" she failed. She was require to "fetch new clients," according to her interviewer, which led to the test.

After starting this job, the woman first paid Rs 7,000 to maximise her incentives after being asked to review hotels online. She was also "assigned" the "prepaid" duty of making investments with money in order to earn large returns. A probe has been initiated in the matter. The woman took some time to realise that her employers were actually fraudsters, an officer from the East division told TOI. Work From Home Scam: Ghaziabad Woman Duped of Rs 13 Lakh in Job Fraud Involving YouTube Video 'Likes'; Case Registered.

Previously, the Kolkata Police DD's anti-cheating unit detained two persons for allegedly tricking a woman of Rs 30 lakh by claiming to have a position in the Union Ministry of Urban Development. The suspects, Madhyamgram resident Prakash Chandra and Uttarpara resident Sayantan Das, were apprehended by the police. Moumita Goswami had filed the complaint against them in September after discovering that the appointment letter the accused had sent her was fake. Cyber Fraud in Bengaluru: IT Professor Falls Prey to Click-to-Earn Scam, Loses Rs 5.2 Lakh.

Last month via its social media pages, the Kolkata Police alerted the public about such cybercrime. According to the police, it was discovered that individuals are getting sporadic WhatsApp messages that advertise rich work-from-home possibilities. The con artists invite a person to "like" a few videos on YouTube if they demonstrate interest. After receiving payment at first, users are connected to a Telegram group conversation and urged to pay for further tasks that provide a sizable payout upon completion. Authorities have warned the public not to fall for this trick.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2024 08:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).