Bengaluru woman loses over Rs 18 lakh to scratch card lottery scam

A Bengaluru woman, aged 45, was recently defrauded of over Rs 18 lakh in a complex lottery scam involving scratch cards. The incident began when the resident of Annapurneshwari Nagar received an envelope, supposedly from an e-commerce platform, containing a scratch card and instructions on January 28, 2024.

According to a report by Deccan Herald, the woman, Sanjana, discovered that she had won Rs 15.51 lakh. The fraudsters convinced Sanjana to share pictures of the letter, scratch card, envelope, and her ID card for verification.

They then falsely claimed that she needed to pay a 30 per cent tax to claim her winnings due to the illegality of lotteries in Karnataka. Over the next few months, Sanjana transferred Rs 18,40,168 to the scammers via RTGS.

The fraudsters disappeared leaving Sanjana with nothing, prompting her to report to cybercrime authorities. The police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code.

What is scratch card fraud?

Scratch card scams are a common form of fraud, exploiting people's desire for easy money. To protect against such scams, people are advised to be wary of unsolicited scratch cards, particularly those asking for fees or personal details to claim prizes. The scratch cards don't have to be in the physical form either. Digital versions can also be used to create the illusion of a lottery win, only to later scam the user. 

It's important to verify the authenticity of promotions with the sponsoring company and not to share sensitive information with unknown parties.