Responding to an unverified advertisement for a part-time job recently led an engineering student to lose Rs 2.65 lakh. A resident of Lower Parel, the 24-year-old wanted to earn while studying, and was lured by an offer wherein he could do that by selling electronic items. It also involved recharging certain amounts specified by customers.
He registered with the website offering the job and earned Rs 200 gift offer. For this, he made a number of transactions amounting to Rs 2.65 lakh in the form of recharges. He was then to earn Rs 4 lakh, including the Rs 2.65 lakh he spent from his own pocket. However, the site demanded an extra Rs 1 lakh as processing fee, which set off an alarm, but it was too late.
The student refused to pay any further and demanded his share of Rs 4 lakh to which there was no response. Realising he had been duped, the student approached the NM Joshi Marg police station and lodged a complaint. Subsequently, a case was registered and the accused unknown persons were booked for cheating and impersonation under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act. A probe is currently underway.
