Mangaluru: 2 women lose nearly ₹37 lakh in WhatsApp, Instagram ‘work from home’ scams

coastaldigest.com news network
June 26, 2025

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Mangaluru, June 26: In two separate but strikingly similar incidents, two individuals from Mangaluru lost a total of ₹36.89 lakh to sophisticated "work from home" scams that originated on Instagram and WhatsApp, and later extended to platforms like Telegram. The scams, disguised as easy online jobs with high returns, lured victims with small initial payouts before demanding larger investments, which ultimately vanished without a trace.

Case 1: ₹27 Lakh Lost in ‘Global Part-Time Job’ Scam

One of the victims, a woman from Mangaluru, said she was watching Instagram reels on June 11 when she came across an advertisement offering a "Work From Home" opportunity. Intrigued, she clicked on the link, which redirected her to a WhatsApp chat, promoting a scheme called "Global Part Time Job".

The offer promised ₹120 per task for simply liking content on ShareChat, with daily earnings up to ₹5,000. She completed 20 tasks on the first day and was credited ₹320 to her bank account — a tactic often used by fraudsters to gain trust.

Encouraged by the payout and the lure of larger profits, she began transferring money to the scheme in phases from June 13 to June 20 — not just from her account, but also from those of her father, sister, and husband. Altogether, she claims to have transferred ₹27.01 lakh to various bank accounts.

When she could no longer withdraw any funds and received no response from the operators, she realized she had been defrauded and filed a complaint at the CEN Crime Police Station.

Case 2: ₹9.88 Lakh Lost in Telegram Investment Fraud

In another similar case, reported at the Mangaluru Rural Police Station, a second victim lost ₹9.88 lakh after being contacted on WhatsApp by someone named Ishika Joshi on May 22. She shared a link offering money for rating movies online. After the victim gave 5-star ratings, ₹150 was credited to their account, building confidence in the legitimacy of the task.

Soon after, a man identifying himself as Naveen Aurora, a "data tutor," contacted the victim via Telegram. He claimed that by paying a ₹5,000 task fee, the victim would gain access to more profitable assignments. The victim was then persuaded to invest in “US Copper”, a so-called foreign stock opportunity, initially depositing ₹53,000.

When the victim inquired about the expected returns, Aurora claimed the investment had been misdirected to “UK Copper” by mistake, and that a "repair task" was needed to recover the funds — prompting a further transfer of ₹8 lakh. Later, Aurora demanded an additional ₹8.5 lakh to complete “Level 2” and unlock the refund.

Realizing something was amiss, the victim checked with the bank and confirmed the fraud, eventually reporting it to the police.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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News Network
November 29,2025

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New Delhi: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday put up a dramatic display of unity at a closely watched joint press briefing, firmly dismissing weeks of speculation about a power-sharing tussle within the Congress. With the high command nudging both leaders to sit together and settle the dust, the meeting became a political spectacle, ending with the duo declaring that there was “no confusion, no differences.”

Calling the reports of a rift “manufactured confusion,” Siddaramaiah said the talks had gone smoothly, even joking about their breakfast. “Breakfast was very good. All three of us enjoyed it,” he said. “We want to end this confusion once and for all. For local elections and for 2028, our mission is clear — Congress must return to power. There is no difference between me and DKS, not now, not before.”

He blamed the media for fuelling rumours and reiterated absolute adherence to the party leadership. “From tomorrow, let there be no confusion. What the high command says, we will follow.”

Siddaramaiah also assured that the Assembly session starting December 8 would run smoothly and vowed that Congress would take on the BJP and JD(S) “together.”

Shivakumar echoed the chief minister word for word, stressing loyalty and discipline. “People have given us a massive mandate. It is our duty to deliver,” he said. “This government was formed under Siddaramaiah’s leadership. We both have complete trust in the high command. If they tell me to wait, I will wait.”

He added that the two leaders had discussed strategy for the 2028 Assembly elections. “Whatever the CM says, I agree. We are loyal soldiers of the party. The party may be facing challenges nationally, but we will keep it strong in Karnataka.”

Shivakumar also said Siddaramaiah would soon visit his home for lunch or dinner — another symbolic gesture meant to underline their unity.

Both leaders later posted on social media describing the breakfast meeting as “productive” and focused on “Karnataka’s priorities.”

The BJP, however, rejected the show of camaraderie as “pure bunkum,” accusing Congress of trying to paper over an internal power struggle. But Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar insisted their united front would continue — and that there was “no confusion” within the state leadership.

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