Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A college student was duped of nearly Rs 2.99 lakh after fraudsters used a fake refund offer in Indore on Sunday.
She was later blackmailed her with threats of leaking obscene photos on social media.
The Incident
According to police, the victim, Varida, filed a complaint against unknown accused. The incident began on May 11 when her sister, Alina, ordered two water bottles from an Instagram page named "Soft Quk India" and made the payment online.
Some time after the order was placed, a man called and claimed that the order had been cancelled. He told the family that the refund could not be processed directly because the amount was small and sent a link to complete the refund process.
Following his instructions, details were reportedly shared through the link.
On May 20, the student received another phone call. This time, the caller claimed to possess her obscene photographs and threatened to make them viral on social media. He demanded Rs 30,000 in exchange for not releasing the pictures.
Frightened by the threat, the student transferred Rs 30,000 to the UPI account provided by the caller.
The fraud came to light on June 9 when the student visited her college to deposit her fees. During the payment process, she discovered that there was no money left in her bank account.
After approaching the bank for details, she learned that nearly Rs 2.99 lakh had been withdrawn from her account through multiple transactions without her knowledge.
Realising she had been cheated, the student lodged complaints with the Cyber Crime Cell and Khajrana Police Station.
Based on her complaint, police have registered a case against unknown persons and started an investigation.
Officials said they are tracing the bank accounts and digital transactions through which the money was transferred and are working to identify the accused involved in the fraud and blackmail.
