With the rapid development of technology, easy access to smartphones, unemployment, and increasing use of social media, young people are falling into the clutches of fraudsters under the illusion of 'easy money'.
What you should know
Online fraud has been taking a serious turn in Dharan in recent times. Statistics show that more than Rs 21.3 million was defrauded through online and banking channels in just four months of the current fiscal year 2082/83.
According to the Area Police Office, Dharan, the number of complaints regarding both banking crimes and online fraud is increasing. According to the statistics of the Area Police Office, Dharan, 12 people have registered complaints under banking crimes in the current fiscal year. According to these complaints, Rs 15.8 million has been defrauded. Similarly, 60 complaints regarding online fraud have been registered, out of which Rs 5.5 million has been defrauded, informed Deputy Superintendent of Police Gribunbabu Rai. According to him, only Rs 700,000 has been returned to the victims so far, while the remaining amount is being investigated and correspondence has been sent to the banks concerned.
In the last fiscal year 2081/82, 117 complaints of online fraud were registered, resulting in a fraud of Rs 12.57 million, 900. Similarly, the statistics of the Area Police Office, Dharan show that 41 cases of banking crimes were registered, resulting in a fraud of Rs 8.51 million, 19.381. According to the police, only Rs 14.9 million has been returned in that year. The experiences of victims of online fraud show that the methods used by fraudsters are gradually becoming more sophisticated.
Dharan-15 resident Ravi Yadav was offered to work as an online tenderer through the Telegram app. A link came from an unknown number on WhatsApp. When he opened it to see what it was, he went straight to an ID named Alina (ALLINNA) on the Telegram app. If you want to earn money online from home with a small investment, you can place a tender with that ID. After completing 100 percent of the investment, you are tempted to receive additional commission along with the investment.
After Yadav agrees to work, the person with that ID tells him that he needs to invest 10,000. He sends the money immediately. He receives 2500 along with the investment and commission in his e-service account. From there, if he wants to play another 'task', he is asked to send 50,000. After completing another task, 5,000 comes to his account. If he wants to play another task, he is asked to send 1 lakh. The person sends money to the NIC Asia Bank account that he sent. Then 10,000 commission comes to his account.
Then the person asks to send 2 lakh. He sends 1 lakh. But the answer comes- ‘The task is not complete, send 1 lakh again, and you will get more money after adding the amount you sent earlier and the commission.’ In this way, it is said repeatedly that the task is not completed and he sends up to 5 lakh again. From there, he is again tempted by saying, ‘Now send 5 lakh, you will get back all your investment.’
In this way, he has already sent 1 lakh rupees to different bank accounts of different people in different names on 8 occasions. Despite being aware of online fraud, he says that he lost 1 lakh rupees because the money was returned at first.
Similarly, while using Facebook, Ram Prasad Khanal, a resident of Dharan-12, saw a message saying 'You can win money' on a fake app with the logo of Nabil Bank. When he clicked on the link, an OTP number that appeared to be from the bank was requested through the app. He said that Rs 300,000 was deducted from his Nabil Bank account as soon as he typed and sent the OTP number. He informed that he filed a complaint with the Area Police Office, Dharan only after realizing that the page and app were fake.
Similarly, the lure of foreign employment has also become another means of online fraud. Min Bahadur Rai, a resident of Dharan-17, saw an advertisement on Facebook seeking 3,000 workers for Canada and got in touch. At first, he was asked to send documents including citizenship, passport, and photo, saying it would cost Rs 20,000. Then, he was asked to pay money gradually, saying it would cost Rs 881,000. He said that he felt cheated when he started asking for more money even after sending Rs 881,000.
Meanwhile, Suraj Bishwakarma of Dharan-11 was cheated of Rs 664,000 through Telegram. In his case, the fraud became even more complicated. After it was discovered that some of the money he had initially received from the WhatsApp app had been sent to his account by another victim like him, the person filed a complaint against Suraj's account. He said that this created a situation where the victim had to face legal troubles.
According to the police, such incidents are only representative. Many victims who have been cheated of small amounts have kept quiet without filing complaints. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Rai, 31 fraud-related complaints have been registered in the few months since he came to Dharan. Only four of them have been resolved, while the rest of the complaints are being frozen through the bank and technical investigation is underway, Deputy Superintendent of Police Rai said.
He says that the rapid development of technology, easy access to smartphones, unemployment and the increasing use of social media are making young people fall into the illusion of 'easy earning'. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Rai, the investigation and control process has become complicated as many social media platforms are hosted outside Nepal.
