Man falls prey to online job fraud in Thane district, loses Rs 54.9 lakh

Thane: A 33-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane district was allegedly duped of Rs 54.9 lakh by cyber fraudsters who offered him work opportunities online, police said on Monday.

Based on a complaint by the victim, a resident of Badlapur, the police on Saturday registered a case under the Information Technology Act, an official said.

He said the complainant alleged that a woman posing as a "team leader" in a company approached him with an offer of online work-from-home jobs that appeared legitimate.

The official said the man was sent an online game via the Telegram messaging application and was assured substantial prize money for playing the game, and made him pay some money to play on the app.

He said the complainant paid Rs 54.9 lakh between September 2024 and January 2025 but never received any returns.

The Thane city police have advised people to avoid sharing personal or financial details on unsecured online platforms and to be wary of schemes that promise high returns with minimal effort.