india-faces-surge-in-online-scams-engineer-duped-of-28-lakhs

India is struggling with a growing epidemic of online scams, with new cases surfacing daily where victims lose lakhs to online predators.

 

These scams are particularly alarming as they not only drain victims financially but also exploit their emotional vulnerabilities through threats and manipulation.

 

One of the latest incidents involves a mechanical engineer from Visakhapatnam (Vizag) who was swindled out of Rs 28 lakh by a scammer posing as a love interest on a dating app.

 

According to the Deccan Chronicle, the scam came to light when the unmarried engineer reported his loss to the Vizag city police.

 

Investigations revealed Kommagoni Lokesh, a 25-year-old from Narketpalli in Telangana's Nalgonda district, as one of the culprits. Lokesh was part of a three-member gang that targeted unsuspecting individuals through online dating platforms.

 

The scammers created fake profiles on various dating websites and apps, featuring attractive photos of women designed to lure potential victims.

 

Once contact was made, they engaged in frequent and intimate communication to quickly build trust and emotional connections with the victim.

 

After establishing trust, the scammers concocted elaborate stories to extort money. In this case, the victim was manipulated into transferring a total of Rs 28 lakh over time.

 

Once the funds were secured, the fraudsters used personal information and compromising photos shared during the faux relationship to blackmail the victim, further exploiting his emotional state.