The Cyber police have warned people not to respond to lucrative offers on the Telegram app to make quick money as cyber fraudsters are on the prowl to search for preys.
In such incidents, young businessman Deepak Sahu and a woman in the city have recently lost over lakhs of rupees to these cyber scammers.
According to the complaint, Sahu had received a message on Telegram, asking him to do a task to get money. He rose to the bait and opened an account. Thereafter he received some tasks. He first deposited Rs 800 and then Rs 10,000 and later withdrew Rs 13,000.
He was then asked to complete 28 steps to get lakhs of rupees. Then he was asked to deposit Rs 9.5 lakh. After realising that he had been taken for a ride, he demanded a refund. The fraudsters asked him to cough up another Rs 2 lakh to get back his money. With no option left, Sahu sought the intervention of the Cyber police
Similarly, a gang of cyber fraudsters duped a woman of Rs 1.13 lakh, promising to teach modelling to her son.
As cases of online fraudsters cheating gullible people through Telegram are increasing, the Cyber Police has started creating awareness among people.