Thane: A 39-year-old man was defrauded of Rs 1.17 crore in one of the most elaborate “task-based” cyber scams reported this year. The victim was lured into a fake investment scheme operated by an international syndicate using encrypted messaging apps and cryptocurrency networks.The police said the fraud began innocuously when the victim received an unsolicited message on a messaging platform, offering a lucrative part-time job completing simple online tasks. The scammers promised attractive commissions for activities like liking products or placing dummy orders on websites mimicking legitimate e-commerce giants.According to the police complaint, the fraudsters initially paid out small commissions. The victim was given access to a professional-looking dashboard on a fake domain, complete with balance sheets and task assignments that appeared legitimate.Investigating officials noted that once trust was established, the scammers escalated their demands. The victim was told that investing larger amounts would unlock “VIP Store” status, yielding substantially higher returns. As the promised earnings grew, the fraudsters shifted the operation to cryptocurrency transactions.The investigation revealed that the victim was coerced into purchasing USDT (Tether) through digital exchanges and transferring the tokens to anonymous wallets controlled by the attackers. Transaction records showed multiple transfers, including a single instalment of approximately Rs 45 lakh, purportedly for “stock replenishment” in a virtual storefront.When the victim’s dashboard eventually showed a balance exceeding Rs 1.17 crore and withdrawal requests were made, the scammers blocked access. They claimed tax clearances and security verifications were required, demanding additional payments before releasing funds and siphoning the money.
