Chikkamagalur: Woman falls victim to Whatsapp lottery scam

In a shocking incident, a woman in Chikkamagalur became the target of a fraudulent WhatsApp lottery scam.

The victim has been identified as Zeenat Banu.

According to Zeenat’s formal complaint, the ordeal began in May 2022 when an unknown individual reached out to her via WhatsApp, claiming to represent the popular television program “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC). The caller conveyed the astonishing news that Zeenat had been selected as the winner of a lottery prize amounting to Rs 25 lakhs.

However, the deceptive scheme took a sinister turn as the scammer insisted that Zeenat could only claim her substantial prize after settling all the necessary taxes and associated charges. This transaction was purportedly scheduled to transpire between May 2022 and September 13, 2023. Regrettably, in the course of this scam, the fraudster illicitly transferred a staggering sum of Rs 12,93,200 from Zeenat’s bank accounts.

In response to this incident, a formal case has been registered at the Dakshina Kannada District CEN Crime Police Station.