Google Review Scam: Vizag Residents Lose Rs 1 Crore In Just One Month

Scams usually begin with offers of easy money for completing simple activities such as posting reviews or giving ratings. In many cases, victims realise they have been cheated only when they try to withdraw their money.

More than 20 residents of Visakhapatnam reportedly lost a combined Rs 1 crore to a Google Review scam in just one month. The reported losses among individual victims ranged from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 9 lakh.

How The Google Review Scam Worked

According to a report by The Times of India (TOI), a 38-year-old resident received a message on Telegram offering Rs 100 to Rs 200 for each task. After joining a group, he was asked to complete Google Review tasks and share screenshots to show that he had completed them. A person identified as Deepak, who introduced himself as a customer manager, paid him initially Rs 120 for each task.

The victim was later encouraged to invest money to earn more. He reportedly deposited Rs 500 and received Rs 630 in return. He then invested Rs 3,000 and received Rs 4,300. These initial payments have made him believe and encouraged him to put in larger amounts.

Deepak later connected him with another person identified as Kabir, who allegedly claimed to be an operations manager. The victim was directed to a trading website and asked to invest more money with promises of higher profits. He was also led to believe that he would be able to withdraw his money along with the promised returns.

However, when he tried to withdraw the funds, the alleged operators told him that trading errors had caused his account to be frozen. They then asked him to deposit more money to reactivate the account and release his funds.

Another person, identified as Manav and described as a withdrawal manager, asked him to make further payments to process a higher withdrawal. He later claimed that the victim needed to improve his credit score before the money could be released.

Despite depositing more than Rs 10 lakh, the resident reportedly received neither the promised returns nor his original investment back.

How To Stay Alert

After complaints from victims, cybercrime police in Visakhapatnam registered a case involving allegations of organised crime, cheating, dishonestly inducing delivery of property through impersonation and identity theft.

Anyone who suspects they have been targeted in a cyber fraud should save chats, transaction records and other relevant evidence. They should also contact their bank quickly and report the suspected fraud through India's official cybercrime reporting channels or by calling 1930.