A 35-year-old resident of Rahatani fell victim to a fraud scheme, losing ₹16.11 lakh in a scam involving "like and comment on YouTube and earn" offers, officials said on Tuesday.
The fraudulent activity unfolded between October 29, 2023, and February 4, 2024, prompting the victim to file an FIR at the Wakad Police Station.
According to the complaint, the victim received messages via an unidentified WhatsApp number, luring him to subscribe and like a specific YouTube channel through a provided link. The scheme falsely promised financial rewards, offering ₹150 for the first comment and ₹50 for subsequent ones. The victim was led to believe he could earn ₹1,500 to ₹4,000 daily by making 24 comments and likes per day.
Further into the interaction, the victim was directed to join a Telegram group by an individual identified as Anjali Patel (full name and address not disclosed). Within this group, the victim was persuaded to make payments based on various targets set by the scammer.
As a result of the scheme, the victim lost ₹16,11,080. He promptly reported the incident to the Wakad Police Station, leading to the registration of a case against the alleged scammer, Anjali Patel.
Wakad Police have launched an investigation to apprehend the perpetrator and uncover the mechanisms of the fraudulent operation.
