Mumbai,UPDATED: Jun 16, 2023 13:13 IST
The Mumbai police have registered over 170 cases in two months in the YouTube ‘like and earn scam’. This online scam cheats people on the pretext of paying them in lieu of providing likes on the video-sharing platform. For instance, in May, the cyber cell of the Mumbai police arrested six people for allegedly cheating a 45-year-old Colaba resident of Rs 25.35 lakh. That very month, three were arrested from Ajmer and Bhilwada in Rajasthan for allegedly cheating a Chembur resident of Rs 27.21 lakh.
A senior official from the Mumbai police said these fraudsters approached people on WhatsApp promising them a part-time job of liking YouTube videos. They claim to be part of digital marketing firms involved in promoting brands or videos for which they need to increase the number of likes for them on social media. The victims are added to Telegram groups and asked to like the videos sent to them and share the screenshots after which they will be paid between Rs 50 to Rs 150 for each ‘like’.
According to the Mumbai police, initially, the victims are paid for their work to gain their trust. Later, their handlers ask them to pay fees for higher-paying tasks, ranging from Rs 5,000 to even Rs 5 lakh, and cheat them. They may also be asked to pay hefty sums as registration fee. However, the scamsters refuse to or avoid paying the earnings due to the victims even after they complete these tasks. The victims may also be asked to pay more money to get the earnings due to them or participate in more high-value tasks, thus trapping them in a vicious circle.
“There are several red flags here. First, the victims are approached directly for part-time jobs without even seeking their resume or without completing any verification or KYC formalities. Then, the victims get money from different bank accounts and not from that of the purported company,” the Mumbai police official added.
The scamsters open multiple bank accounts to route, transfer and eventually withdraw the money. “Some of these criminals are based out of Maharashtra and may have links abroad, in countries like China. These funds are also converted into crypto currencies,” the official said. Some of these scamsters use SIM cards procured from foreign countries where KYC norms are not so stringent.
The Mumbai Police have asked people to refrain from sharing personal details, bank account, credit card or debit card details, Aadhaar number or PAN or OTPs, or any identification papers with such unknown entities. They have also cautioned against clicking on suspicious links or downloading any apps.
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