Navi Mumbai man loses Rs 10.13 lakh in online 'task' fraud; 4 booked

A 37yearold Navi Mumbai man has allegedly lost Rs 1013 lakh after being lured with the promise of high returns for some online tasks police said on Sunday reported news agency PTIThe cyber police station in Navi Mumbai has registered a case against four persons in this connection they said reported PTIThe accused contacted the victim a resident of Old Panvel area between January 16 and 27 and offered him to undertake some online prepaid tasksThey forwarded the Navi Mumbai man certain links assigned the tasks and promised lucrative returns Subsequently the victim made payments totalling Rs 1013005 into the bank accounts and through UPI IDs as instructed an official from cyber police station said reported PTIHowever after completing the tasks the Navi Mumbai man neither received the promised returns nor his money was refunded When he asked the accused for payment they gave evasive responses reported PTIThe victim then filed a police complaint based on which a case was on Wednesday registered against four persons under sections 419 cheating by personation 420 cheating and 34 common intention of the Indian Penal Code the official saidIn another case police have registered a case against three persons for allegedly cheating a 50yearold woman from Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra of Rs 18 lakh by promising jobs to her son and soninlaw in a stateowned company an official said on Sunday reported PTIThe victim had got to know about the accused through one of her acquaintancesTo gain the confidence of the woman and her kin one of the accused showed them an ID card purportedly belonging to the company and claimed he worked there the official from Rabale police station said reported PTIThe accused also presented fabricated appointment letters to the victims the police saidThe three accused allegedly took Rs 20 lakh from the woman a resident of Airoli area since September 2021 reported PTIBut when the promised jobs did not materialise the accused returned Rs 2 lakh to her and later gave evasive replies regarding the remaining amount the official said reported PTIFollowing a complaint by the woman the police on Saturday registered a case against the three accused two from Pune and one from Ratnagiri under Indian Penal Code sections 420 cheating 406 criminal breach of trust 170 impersonating a public servant 506 criminal intimidation and common intention he saidWith inputs from PTI