Hyderabadis beware! Don’t fall prey to Natraj pencils work-from-home offers; it is a scam

Hyderabad: In today's fast-paced world, many people are seeking work-from-home opportunities to balance their personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, this has led to an increase in fraudulent job offers, leaving many people out of pocket. One such victim is P Manjula, a housewife from Hyderabad, who recently fell prey to a work-from-home scam.

On March 6, Manjula received a message on Facebook for a work-from-home opportunity from a person claiming to represent Natraj company. The job involved packaging pens and pencils, and Manjula was intrigued. She responded to the message, and after some chatting, the person provided her with their phone number.

Manjula started chatting with the person on the other end, who asked her to pay Rs. 620 for ID proof and requested her Aadhaar card and passport-sized photos. They also promised that if she sent Rs. 1000 she would receive double the amount from Natraj company. Manjula believed them and sent them the requested amount via Phone Pay in six transactions and Google Pay in five transactions, totaling Rs. 58,538 debited from her account.

Later, Manjula realized that she had been scammed. She had lost a considerable amount of money and had been left feeling embarrassed and violated. "I thought I had found a good opportunity to earn some extra income from home," she said, "but instead, I fell into a trap."

This incident happened in Sri Nagar Colony of Banjara Hills police station limits, Sub Inspector K Venkatesh said a case has been booked under sections 419, 420 IPC, Sec 66(C), (D) IT Act.

Work-from-home scams like these are becoming increasingly common, and it's essential to be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar job opportunities. It's important to thoroughly research the company offering the job, ask for references, and never pay any money upfront.