Woman duped of ₹2.9 lakh in online child modelling scam in Bengaluru

A 30-year-old woman from Rajajinagar, Bengaluru, lost ₹2.9 lakh in an online scam that falsely promised child modelling opportunities. The fraud began when she received a message on Facebook on March 26 from a profile named Emery Lane, offering her child modelling and photoshoot assignments. Hoping to secure such a chance for her child, she responded and shared personal details, including her child’s name, age, and location.

Also read: IPL ticket scam leaves fans stranded at Chepauk stadium

Subsequently, she was asked to perform simple online tasks, such as liking and sharing child modelling-related posts on social media, as part of an alleged audition process. She was introduced to another contact on Telegram, using the ID @JohanJR666, who provided her with tasks promising small commissions ranging from ₹50 to ₹150.

Initially, she received minor payments, which encouraged her to continue. She was soon offered higher-paying “merchant tasks” that required upfront payments of ₹5,000 or more. The scammers claimed she had made errors in completing some of the tasks and insisted she repay to correct them. Over several days, she transferred money in multiple transactions, totaling ₹2.9 lakh by April 3.

When the fraudsters demanded additional payments under the pretext of refunding her money, she realized she had been cheated and approached Basaveshwaranagar police. Authorities have registered a case under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and are investigating the matter.