Fake iPhone Offers Made Youth Lose Lakhs on Instagram
Fake iPhone Offers Made Youth Lose Lakhs on Instagram
“Youths have been duped over Instagram with the phishing offer of an iPhone. Let’s see how all that happened!”
A young man from Ghaziabad was defrauded of ₹1.90 lakh after falling for an Instagram advertisement offering a brand-new iPhone at a discounted price, in yet another instance demonstrating the growing trend of social media-based cyber crimes.
The victim’s family filed a complaint after the Crossings Republik event, and the police have since started looking into the digital trail and related accounts used in the scam.
Police
| Using WhatsApp conversations, fictitious order IDs, and altered screenshots indicating the item was prepared for shipping, the fraudsters first won the victim’s trust. Before issuing a false verification link that gave them access to the victim’s financial information, the accused gradually extracted many sums. |
An Instagram ad was the first sign of fraud.
- Jasveer Singh, the complainant, said that on July 6, his son Ashu Singh discovered the deceptive advertisement on Instagram.
- The article supplied a WhatsApp contact for questions and asserted that brand-new iPhones were being sold at incredibly low costs.
- The con artists demanded a ₹1,000 “registration fee” as soon as the conversation started.
- They maintained that a further ₹6,200 was needed for the purported shipping procedure after the initial payment.
- The con artists used modified screenshots to confirm order movement and supplied fake shipment data each time the victim sought clarification.
Unauthorized Transactions Caused by Phishing Links and OTP
- Ashu received a link purportedly intended for “order confirmation and delivery tracking” a few hours later.
- A six-digit OTP was delivered to his mobile number after he clicked it.
- The scammers asked him to share it, saying it was necessary to confirm his purchase.
- Numerous illegal transactions from his bank account started as soon as the OTP was disclosed.
- The victim later informed authorities that the con artists frightened him and said his money would be lost if he didn’t cooperate when he questioned the abrupt withdrawals.
Around ₹1.90 lakh was lost; funds were transferred to several A/cs.
The full amount had already been transferred across several digital accounts by the time the family contacted the bank and police, making recovery challenging.
The Crossings Republik police have filed a case under the IPC’s cheating sections and the IT Act’s regulations. The Cyber Cell is currently tracking the digital trail, which includes the domain hosting the fake link, virtual numbers, and the payment mechanism utilized.
Cyber Officials
| The instance is a part of an increasing trend of fraud, including phony ads on Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and OLX. These frauds usually target consumers looking for cheap goods, particularly high-end cellphones.
The trail is complicated because scammers frequently use VPNs, mule bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and fast-transfer payment apps. |
Police Advisory
Authorities advised people to exercise caution and refrain from placing their immediate trust in discounted online offers.
Key precautions shared include:
- Check profiles, and never accept offers that seem too good to be true.
- Don’t share OTPs or click on unknown links.
- Pay only once the merchandise has been physically verified.
Senior Police Official, Warning
| “A whole bank account might be depleted with a single incorrect click. Online sales need to be handled carefully.” |
About The Author
Suraj Koli is a content specialist in technical writing about cybersecurity & information security. He has written many amazing articles related to cybersecurity concepts, with the latest trends in cyber awareness and ethical hacking. Find out more about “Him.”
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