Udupi man Loses Rs 26 Lakh to Cyber Fraud in Availing Rs 12 Lakh Lottery Money

Udupi man Loses Rs 26 Lakh to Cyber Fraud in Availing Rs 12 Lakh Lottery Money

Udupi: A resident of Udupi lost Rs 26lakh to unidentified cyber fraudsters after he paid the amount as “processing fee” to avail Rs 12-lakh lottery money.

According to the Udupi CEN police, the complainant Nagraj Bhat had received a letter from the portal, stating that he had won a lottery ticket from Naaptol Company. The letter said that Naaptol had organised a lucky draw for its customers. On scratching the lottery ticket, the complainant saw that he had won Rs 12 lakh.

To claim the cash prize, Nagraj called the mobile number given in the letter. The man was then asked to pay taxes, GST, processing fees and other miscellaneous charges on different occasions, amounting to Rs 26,47,650/-. He kept paying the money from April 4 till July 28. However, when the fraudster asked for an additional amount as service tax, he realised that he had been cheated. When the man contacted Naaptol, the online portal executives told him that they did not send such tickets or letters, following which the man approached the CEN police.

An FIR was registered on October 7. A police officer from CEN police station said, “People should not blindly trust such letters. The complainant should have verified it with the company before paying.”