A 38-year-old man from Asif Nagar was duped of ₹1.05 lakh in an online gift scam after being lured by a fraudulent Instagram account posing as a mobile store. The incident played out on July 15, when the victim came across a page named ‘Zam Zam Mobilez’. The scammers, posing as representatives of the page, claimed that he had won a luxury gift box containing an iPhone, an Ultra watch, and earbuds.
They then shared a malicious link, instructing him to confirm “Parcel No. 65” along with his name during a WhatsApp call. Over the course of the interaction, the fraudsters demanded multiple payments under various false pretences, including courier charges, GST, customs clearance, packaging, and gift fees.
Unaware of the deception, the victim made several payments, amounting to a total loss of ₹1.05 lakh. The scam came to light when he was asked to transfer an additional ₹15,000 the next day. Suspecting foul play, he sought advice from a friend and realised he had been conned.
A case was booked by the cybercrime wing of the Hyderabad Police, and an investigation is underway to trace the criminals behind the fake Instagram page.
Published – July 19, 2025 06:52 pm IST