Representative image for scam
Credit: iStock photo
Udupi: A 57-year-old man from Shirva village in Kaup taluk, Udupi, fell victim to an online loan scam after being lured through a Telegram advertisement.
The complainant, Stanley Pereira, who is currently in Kuwait, stated that he came across a loan-related advertisement on the Telegram app. He was subsequently added to a Telegram group named "12-12|4FIN FINANCE LIMITED-5M-100M” by a person identifying himself as Rajesh Changa.
After Pereira expressed his requirement for a loan of Rs 75 lakh through a message, the unidentified person assured him of providing the loan at an interest rate of 0.5 per cent. The accused informed him that an initial payment of Rs 5 lakh had to be made towards tax charges.
Believing the claims, Pereira transferred a total amount of Rs 21,66,769 to different bank accounts in India, as instructed by the accused, between December 23 and December 31, 2025. However, neither the promised loan amount nor the transferred money was returned, he said in the complaint.
Based on the complaint, the CEN Police Station has registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).