Investment fraud
The easy task that turns into an investment
आसान टास्क से निवेश तक
Like some videos, rate some hotels, earn a few hundred rupees. And it pays, at first.
- Who it is aimed at
- People looking for part-time income: students, homemakers, anyone with spare hours and a UPI app.
- How fast it moves
- Two to three weeks by design
What they say
Reconstructed from reported complaints. The wording changes; the sequence does not.
“Complete 3 tasks, earn Rs 150. Payment on the spot, no investment.”
“You've been upgraded to the prepaid group. Deposit Rs 5,000 to unlock merchant tasks.”
“Withdrawal blocked: 20% tax must be cleared before the balance releases.”
How it runs
- 01Small tasks pay small amounts, promptly and believably
- 02You are moved into a group where others post large earnings
- 03You are invited to deposit money for higher-value tasks
- 04Withdrawals then require 'tax' or 'unfreezing' payments that never end
The tell
The early payouts are the investment. They exist to make the later deposit feel safe.
If this happened to you
Stop paying to withdraw. That money is not recoverable by paying more.
If money left an account in the last few hours, call 1930 before anything else.
What the government calls this
The complaint form asks you to pick a category. This is the one it means.
- Online Job Fraud
I4C advisory
Advisory on 'Rise in Fake Captcha Filling Jobs' based cybercrime
Published 8 April 2025
Read it on cybercrime.gov.in ↗