Mangaluru: A 42-year-old man was allegedly cheated of Rs 3.8 lakh by unidentified persons who promised him a Kerala lottery prize of Rs 8 lakh, according to a complaint filed at CEN crime police station. Police said the victim received a call on Aug 14. The caller allegedly told him that he had won Rs 8 lakh in a Kerala lottery and asked him to pay tax to claim the prize. Believing the caller, the victim allegedly transferred Rs 3,81,300 in several instalments between Aug 15 and 26 through Google Pay and PhonePe scanners shared by the accused on WhatsApp. Later, the accused allegedly contacted him again, claiming that the lottery prize had doubled and demanding that he pay additional tax. The victim then realised that he had been caught in a fraud. He contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930 and lodged a complaint. He later approached the police and filed a complaint. CEN crime police have registered a case.
