Telegram scams are increasing day by day and most of those are just because of the negligence and over-influence of the person (fraudster) on his or her audience. Recently we came across one such case of Mr. Namit (name changed), who got scammed by one of the telegram channel Commodity trading (name changed).
Here is the detail of his conversation with one of our team members.
ADB Team: Hello, how can we assist you today?
Namit: Hi, I need to report a fraud scheme that I was trapped in on Telegram.
ADB Team: We’re sorry to hear that. Could you please provide us with more details about what happened?
Namit: Sure. I was contacted by someone on Telegram who promised that if I invested INR 10,000, I would receive INR 16,000 after three hours. I was influenced by his promise and invested the money.
ADB Team: What happened after you made the investment?
Namit: A few minutes later, he demanded an additional INR 10,000, which I refused to pay. After two hours, he sent a message in a Telegram group, stating that all investors could send their account details to withdraw their money.
ADB Team: Did you provide your account details?
Namit: Yes, I sent my account details. Then he sent me a GST bill showing a profit of INR 80,000 and imposed a 14% GST charge, which amounted to INR 12,000. He said I had to pay this GST to get my money with profit. When I refused, he blocked me.
ADB Team: Do you have any evidence of these interactions?
Namit: Yes, I have all the proof, including the GST bill, chat logs, and Telegram QR codes. They run two Telegram channels, one with 60,000 subscribers and another with 29,000 subscribers. The scam seems to be running on a large scale.
ADB Team: Thank you for providing this information. It’s important that we take immediate action. Can you please send us all the evidence you have collected?
Namit: Of course, I will send you all the evidence, including screenshots of the chats, the GST bill, and the Telegram QR codes.
ADB Team: That would be very helpful. We will also need you to report telegram scammer in the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and your local police station. Have you done this already?
Namit: Not yet. I wanted to get in touch with you first.
ADB Team: Understood. We will guide you through the process. Please visit the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and file a complaint. Also, visit your local police station to file an FIR. Provide them with all the evidence you have.
Namit: I will do that right away. Thank you for your assistance.
ADB Team: You’re welcome. We’re here to help. Please keep us updated on the progress and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need further assistance.
Namit: I will. Thank you again.
ADB Team: Stay safe and take care.
Namit: Thank you.
So what is the learnings from this incidence:
And always remember that online safety starts from being cautious & proactive. If something feels off, follow your instincts and verify every detail before proceeding.
