Two separate cases of cyber fraud were reported from different areas of Gangtok district on January 20, highlighting the increasing risk posed by online scams, particularly those linked to fake loan offers and deceptive online sales.
In the first case, a resident of the Singtam area stated that he came across an advertisement on social media promoting instant personal loans. After clicking the link, he applied for a loan of Rs 60,000. Soon after, he received a call from an unknown person who asked him to pay a processing fee of Rs 1,999 to proceed with the loan. The victim transferred the amount, but the caller later began demanding more money on various grounds. Suspecting something was wrong, the victim stopped making payments and later realised that he had been cheated, resulting in a loss of Rs 1,999.
The second incident involved a resident of the Tadong area who was searching for a two-wheeler on an online classifieds platform. The vehicle was listed at a price of Rs 45,000. After showing interest, the victim received a call from an unknown individual who requested a processing fee of Rs 2,150. After the payment was made, the caller continued to ask for additional amounts, citing charges for GPS activation, check post clearance and other expenses. The victim made several payments before becoming suspicious when a further demand was made for home delivery charges. By then, he had lost a total of Rs 21,649.
In both incidents, the victims lodged complaints on the national cyber crime portal and were advised to approach their respective local police stations for further legal action. Police have once again cautioned the public to be vigilant while dealing with online advertisements, loan offers and purchase deals, especially those that seem too good to be true.