Former vegetable vendor, Rishabh Sharma, once struggled to make ends meet, but as the pandemic wreaked havoc on his livelihood, he resorted to a darker path, turning to fraudulent work-from-home schemes.
In a shocking revelation reported by The Times of India, Rishabh managed to swindle an astonishing sum of Rs 21 crore from unsuspecting victims in just six months. This transformation saw him becoming a central figure in a staggering 37 fraud cases spanning 10 Indian states, with an additional 855 scams in which he played a sinister role.
The authorities finally apprehended Rishabh on October 28, primarily thanks to the paper trail of the bank accounts he used for money laundering. Even more disconcerting is the suspicion that he may have had international ties with criminal groups from countries like China and Singapore, utilizing covert methods to funnel ill-gotten gains, as per the report.
Not long ago, Rishabh Sharma operated as a modest vegetable seller in Faridabad, but the pandemic’s economic fallout forced him to shutter his business. In a desperate bid to support his family, he explored various work-from-home opportunities, ultimately reconnecting with an old acquaintance entrenched in online fraudulent activities.
This acquaintance supplied him with a list of phone numbers, which Rishabh employed to cold-call unsuspecting individuals, peddling tantalizing yet counterfeit job prospects. His latest victim, a businessman from Dehradun, fell prey to his deception, losing a staggering Rs 20 lakh.
Rishabh’s cunning ruse involved crafting a counterfeit website mimicking the appearance of Marriott Bonvoy’s official site. He lured victims by offering part-time employment to compose reviews for the renowned hotel group. Pretending to represent Marriott Bonvoy, he introduced victims to a fictitious colleague, Sonia, who claimed to work for one of the hotels.
Further deepening the illusion, Rishabh created a fictitious Telegram group, instructing victims to author positive reviews and respond to inquiries from fictitious guests. Initially, he gained their trust by disbursing Rs 10,000, before gradually persuading them to invest larger sums with the promise of even greater returns. However, once significant sums were invested, Rishabh vanished, leaving victims unable to trace him.
Rishabh now faces criminal charges, including cheating, in connection with this elaborate scam. Law enforcement agencies uncovered international links, revealing that these criminal groups in other countries enlist individuals in India to open bank accounts for illicit funds, which are then surreptitiously transferred abroad.
The arrest of Rishabh Sharma has underscored the enormity of this problem, as he was found to be embroiled in multiple cases across 10 states. Confronted with these complex scams, authorities face a formidable challenge in bringing those responsible to justice.
