What Is Task Fraud, the Latest Scam Draining Bank Accounts in Maharashtra

Thane: A 25-year-old software engineer hailing from Maharashtra’s Thane district allegedly lost about Rs 40 lakh in a “task fraud”, said an official on Saturday adding that the Kalyan area resident was cheated between June 6 and June 16, he said.

The victim claimed that two persons approached him offering a part-time job that involved rating hotels and restaurants online. Initially, he was paid some amount of money for completing the designated tasks but was later coaxed into investing in schemes that promised “high” returns. 

The officials said that the victim drained out Rs 40.4 lakh over 10 days. The man realised of the scam after he did not get any returns on his investments despite follow-ups.

Acting on the complaint, the Kolsewadi police on Thursday registered a case against two persons, including one identified as Avika Mishra, for cheating. A probe has been launched to track down the alleged scammers, the official added. 

What Is Task Fraud | Decoding the Latest Scam 

In a 'task scam', scamsters act as representatives of reputable companies and offer seemingly easy work-from-home and part-time job opportunities. 

These offers often involve unrealistic returns on investments or simple tasks like watching videos, filling out forms, or writing reviews. They initially pay small amounts to the worker to build trust, then persuade the victims to invest larger sums, promising bigger returns.

By the time the victim realise of getting scammed, the fraudsters disappear. 

In another case of task fraud, a 44-year-old woman running a rental car business lost Rs 24.36 lakh after being promised lucrative returns for reviewing videos and eateries. Initially, the scamsters sent her Rs 56,000 to gain her confidence. Later, she ended up transferring the substantial amount into eight different bank accounts.

Similarly, a Pune IT professional, a firm manager, and six others collectively lost Rs 1.04 crore to various task fraud schemes in February this year.