Two Panchkula residents lose Rs 2.1 lakh to scamsters in online cheating cases

Just two days into the New Year, two residents lost Rs 2.16 lakh to cyber fraud. The victims, a 23-year-old MSc student and a 41-year-old lawyer, both reported the incidents to authorities.

In the first incident, Mehak Sharma, a student of MSc Biotechnology at Thapar University, Patiala, was lured by an advertisement on Instagram promising lucrative online work. On October 20, 2024, while at home in Sector 9, Panchkula, Mehak clicked on the ad, which led to a WhatsApp conversation with an unknown contact.

“I thought it was a legitimate opportunity. They asked me for my name, age, and job, and I shared the details. Then they sent me a link to the MOGLIX app,” she explained.

After making an initial payment of Rs 100 for registration, Mehak was given a series of tasks through the app, which involved buying products and transferring payments ranging from Rs 499 to Rs 21,000.

“It seemed real because the app showed a profit in my account, and I even started seeing the money reflected in my bank account. I felt confident that I was making money,” Mehak recalled.

However, the situation turned sour when she was asked for Rs 36,000 to complete the final task in order to withdraw her earnings.

“When I refused to send the money, they told me that I wouldn’t be able to withdraw any payment unless I completed the last task. That’s when I realised I had been cheated,” the complainant said.

According to the complaint, Mehak lost Rs 1,08,000 in total and has since filed a complaint with the police.

In another incident, Vikas, a 41-year-old lawyer from Sector 15, Panchkula, was targeted by a scammer selling VIP phone numbers. On December 5, 2024, Vikas received a text message offering exclusive numbers. After inquiring, the complainant was given prices and asked to make payments through barcode links. Over several days, he transferred large sums — Rs 1,700, Rs 15,300, Rs 5,000, and more — to the swindlers.

However, after several failed attempts to port the SIM cards, Vikas grew suspicious. “They kept giving excuses, saying they would resolve the issue soon. But then the phone was switched off, and I realised I had been scammed,” Vikas said, adding that he had lost Rs 1,08,000 as well.

The police have registered two separate cases under the Sections 316 (2) and 318 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

They said investigations in both cases are underway and urged the public to remain cautious and verify the authenticity of online offers before making any financial commitments.