A 43-year-old man from Badangpet was cheated of ₹7.73 lakh after falling prey to a fake online lottery and gaming fraud that originated from a social media advertisement. The Hyderabad cyber crimes police booked a case.
According to the complaint, the victim came across an online gaming and lottery advertisement while scrolling through Facebook and clicked on it. Within minutes, he received WhatsApp messages from unknown persons who directed him to a website, from where he downloaded a mobile application named ‘Mega Kerala Lottery’. Believing the platform to be genuine, he began purchasing online lottery tickets through the application over the past one month.
As instructed by the accused, the victim transferred money to various accounts using Paytm and credit cards from bank accounts of his family members and friends. Though small amounts were initially credited as prize money, his account was later frozen, following which he realised that he had been cheated. The total amount lost in the fraud was ₹7,73,839.
The Cyber Crime Police have cautioned the public against advertisements on social media platforms promising easy or guaranteed money through online lottery or gaming. Police said government or State lotteries do not promote schemes through Facebook advertisements, WhatsApp messages or unknown links, and advised people not to download applications from unverified websites or transfer money to unknown accounts.
They also warned against sharing OTPs, PINs, card details or internet banking credentials, and said initial winnings displayed on such applications are often fake and meant only to gain the trust of victims. Citizens have been advised to report suspected cyber frauds to the National Cybercrime Helpline 1930 or through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Published – January 19, 2026 08:25 pm IST
