KATHMANDU: The incident took place on December 8, 2024. A message arrived on WhatsApp from a Nigerian number: “What’s up, friend! I have some good news for you.”

Gairidhara-9 (a symbolic name), who works in the management department of an IT company in Kathmandu, replied seven minutes after receiving the message, “How can I help you?”

The reply came back, “I’m Dhanbi.” “I am an Instagram customer service representative. We need to boost likes on some videos. If you like them in your free time, we will give you a commission. This will not affect your daily work.”

The message further stated, “The mission is simple. Like and send a screenshot. After this, you will start receiving commission. That commission will be between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 per day. Are you interested in this?”

With such a tempting offer from an unknown person, and a foreign number at that, Gairidhara-9 could not refuse. They replied, “Okay, sure.”

Another message followed: “In the first phase, we will give you three test tasks. As soon as you complete them, you will receive Rs 200. After this, we will add you to a group that generates daily income and send you other tasks. You must click the link we send, like it, and send a screenshot.”

Immediately, an Instagram link featuring a photo of a clock arrived. Gairidhara-9 liked the link and sent a screenshot. Similarly, links with a photo of a woman holding a birthday cake (the second task) and a photo signaling Christmas (the third task) arrived. They liked these too and sent screenshots.

“You have completed the first phase task. You will get the commission. You can join a group for other tasks,” Dhanbi said.

She became a little more personal and started asking questions: “How old are you?”

Gairidhara-9 replied, “38.”

“Do you have a Telegram account?” she asked.

“No,” Gairidhara-9 replied.

With such a tempting offer from an unknown person, and a foreign number at that, Gairidhara-9 could not refuse. They replied, “Okay, sure.”

“Wait,” came the reply, along with a Telegram link. The caption read, “Download Telegram. You will receive payment for completing the first task right now.”

Gairidhara-9 did not delay in opening a Telegram account to receive that Rs 200 commission. Another link then arrived from the other side, which said, “She is Marina. She will make your payment. Send her your task code. Your task code is HPDTYS.”

The conversation with Dhanbi on WhatsApp ended there.

Gairidhara-9 entered Telegram. Upon entering, an account named Sara Laguna, not Marina, opened. He wrote there, “Hello.”

The message came back, “Hello, I am your task receptionist. Welcome to the job. Send your task code. Also state your age.”

Gairidhara-9 sent the message with the task code given on WhatsApp and his age. The reply said, “Send your eSewa wallet or bank QR code.”

Gairidhara-9 sent the bank account QR code. Rs 200 was received. After that, Sara sent another link. It said, “Now click on this link and join. You will continue to earn money.”

Having received Rs 200 instantly, Gairidhara-9 was delighted. He started getting lost in imagination. Believing that money would keep flowing in like this, he opened the other links. Following Sara’s instructions, he opened the link and entered another Telegram group. The message read, “Twenty-four tasks are available daily. Complete those tasks. Three tasks make one package. Keep following the tasks sent in the group.”

Gairidhara-9’s job was to like the photos marked as ‘tasks’ and send a screenshot to the group with the message, “Done.”

For commission payment, however, Sara would “deal” from her personal Telegram account.

Following Sara’s instructions, he opened the link and entered another Telegram group. The message read, “Twenty-four tasks are available daily. Complete those tasks. Three tasks make one package. Keep following the tasks sent in the group.”

The first package that arrived read, “13–14–15.” The photos in that package, which were posted on Instagram, were of nail polish, a cake, and a car. They were told to like them to complete the task. He liked them. He sent the screenshot. After this, Gairidhara-9 was confused. He didn’t see any other posts.

He messaged Sara, “Please, guide me. I didn’t find any other tasks.”

Sara replied, “Payment for tasks 13–14–15 is being processed. Wait for 10 to 60 minutes. If the payment is not made, staff will call within 60 minutes. Other tasks will keep coming.”

Gairidhara-9 replied, “Okay.”

Then a new task of “6, 12, and 18” arrived. It included photos of utensils, a teapot, and the moon. He liked them all.

After that, a proposal came to him: “Now, invest some money.”

“How much?”

Gairidhara-9 was initially told that he could deposit Rs 2,080. He showed readiness. Sara sent the QR. Gairidhara-9 deposited the money. She said that in return for depositing that amount and completing the ‘task,’ Rs 3,200 would be refunded.

Gairidhara-9 completed that ‘task’ by liking the photo. He asked for the money in return. Sara immediately sent Rs 3,200.

“I realized that after investing, the money is returned with profit,” Gairidhara-9 says.

The same Telegram user, Sara, then had him deposit Rs 5,080. She showed him the temptation of a 40% increase in the amount, which would be returned as commission. Gairidhara-9 sent the money again. Just like before, he liked the photo and sent the screenshot. However, this time, even after completing the ‘task,’ the invested amount was not returned.

The reply from the other side was, “Wait, we will keep telling you the payment method. Keep completing the remaining tasks.”

He kept demanding the money. Sara kept sending links to photos, saying that he needed to complete other ‘tasks.’

Even before the Rs 5,000 with commission was returned, Sara instructed him to deposit Rs 25,880 all at once. Gairidhara-9 did not even suspect that he was falling into the trap of a fraudster. Blinded by the greed of earning quick money, Gairidhara-9 quickly deposited the amount requested.

Gairidhara-9 completed that ‘task’ by liking the photo. He asked for the money in return. Sara immediately sent Rs 3,200.

“I realized that after investing, the money is returned with profit,” Gairidhara-9 says.

“I asked for the money back. I was told that my tasks were not complete and that I should keep completing them and would get the amount with commission,” Gairidhara-9 complained.

To the question of how he easily believed such things and kept investing money, the victim says, “They talked about returning the money with profit after investing. When I asked other people in the Telegram group, they said they were receiving money, so I followed.”

Gairidhara-9 obeyed everything that the Telegram user Sara told him, without any questions. He only kept saying one thing: “I want my money back.”

Sara kept evasively saying, “It’s coming; the system is working.” She then asked him to QR Rs 30,550, Rs 80,550, and then Rs 375,000 more. She reiterated that the ‘refund’ would come with the same 40% commission.

Even after sending so much money, Gairidhara-9 did not focus on suspicion. By that time, he had already deposited the amount he had saved in the bank while working at the IT company.

“Now I needed the money back. I started demanding a refund of Rs 375,000,” Gairidhara-9 says. “After that, the Telegram user started making excuses about the money-back process. She kept asking for more money to be deposited. I could not predict the risk.”

Sara did not stop asking for money to be deposited. She said, “The account needs to be maintained. You have to deposit money into another account again.”

Gairidhara-9, tempted by the lure of getting his money back with 40% commission, deposited Rs 500,000 at a time. By depositing money this way, the total reached Rs 2.4 million. When he demanded a refund, Sara pointed him to another Telegram user: Estelly. She told him that Estelly was the finance manager and instructed him to talk to her.

Gairidhara-9 asked Estelly about the money-back process. Estelly sent a message, “You can easily withdraw the money! For that, there is a VIP ‘task.’ There are 10 of them. Each ‘task’ is worth Rs 100,000.”

On December 31, Gairidhara-9 QR’ed an additional Rs 1 million. He says, “I was told that if I deposited Rs 1 million, the total investment so far plus the 40% would be instantly refunded, so I put in the money. Neither that Rs 1 million nor the previous amount was returned.”

Having invested so much money, he saw no other option for a refund. Except for the initial investment of Rs 375,000, he had borrowed the rest from friends. When that was not enough, he took out a loan by mortgaging his and his wife’s jewelry. In this way, the amount deposited crossed Rs 3.4 million. Gairidhara-9 kept asking for a refund. Estelly kept asking him to add more.

Gairidhara-9 asked Estelly about the money-back process. Estelly sent a message, “You can easily withdraw the money! For that, there is a VIP ‘task.’ There are 10 of them. Each ‘task’ is worth Rs 100,000.”

Gairidhara-9 asked, “Where is the refund?”

Estelly sent another message: “Account maintenance is going on. Additional funds are required for that maintenance.”

Gairidhara-9 asked, “How much is needed?”

Estelly said, “Rs 550,000. After depositing this, you can easily withdraw Rs 10 million.”

Believing he would get more than double his investment, Gairidhara-9 became even more enthusiastic. He QR’d that amount as well. After so much money was deposited, Estelly put another condition. “Now you have to complete the final VIP-10 task,” he said. “That requires an additional Rs 2 million.”

“Another Rs 2 million?”

“After completing this, you can withdraw Rs 45 million, including the VIP-10 task,” Estelly said.

Now, Gairidhara-9’s mind started to shake. He became suspicious after conditions were piled on top of conditions. Nevertheless, he was confused about whether to borrow money again and deposit it.

During a conversation in the Telegram group, he made contact with another person from Nepal. That person had also been asked to deposit money by the Telegram user. Gairidhara-9 remembered that person. In the course of their conversation, that person said, “Oh no! That is a fraud. I am also stuck. You also fell into the trap.”

After this, Gairidhara-9 realized that he was 100% scammed.

“I said I would file a police report if they couldn’t return the money I deposited,” he says. “But both Telegram users deleted their accounts.”

What to do now? Where to get so much money to pay back the loan? Whom to tell? The hammer of questions started pounding on Gairidhara-9’s head. While he was contemplating going to file a complaint about being scammed, the Cyber Bureau published a notice on January 1, 2025. It stated:

“Incidents of fraud are increasing where links are sent through advertisements on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, and people are lured by deceptive methods. Fraud is being committed by asking for OTP (One Time Password) to transfer money, claiming to be from wallets like eSewa or Khalti and banks/financial institutions, offering gift packages, inheritances, online marketplaces, online shopping, and help with finding rooms for rent. Therefore, do not trust such things and use your bank account responsibly.”

“I said I would file a police report if they couldn’t return the money I deposited,” he says. “But both Telegram users deleted their accounts.”

Seeing this notice, Gairidhara-9 decided to go to the Bureau and filed a complaint on January 7, 2025. Gairidhara-9 is currently struggling to pay the interest on the Rs 4.1 million he lost.

“What can I do? I am paying the interest with difficulty,” he says. “In my greed to earn money sitting at home, I did not realize that it was a world of fraud.”

Four other people have also lost a large amount of money by entering Telegram after seeing similar messages. Within four days of Gairidhara-9’s complaint being registered, a young man from Bhaktapur, Gatthaghar-19 (symbolic name), reached the Bureau. That victim also filed a complaint, stating that he was scammed just like Gairidhara-9 with details of a similar nature. His complaint stated that Rs 3.4 million was scammed.

He says that the money he deposited with the Telegram users, which was his own and borrowed, was scammed. He states that he is not in a position to give any reaction about this. “I have filed a complaint with the Cyber Bureau. I have been informed that an investigation is underway,” the victim says. “I have sought the help of legal bodies. I am not in a position to say anything. This is all: I have been scammed.”

According to Superintendent of Police Deepak Awasthi, 15 days after that, a woman also filed a complaint at the Bureau. That victim stated in her complaint that Rs 3.7 million was scammed from her through Telegram. She is reluctant to come into contact.

Similarly, Pulchowk-15 (symbolic name) from Lalitpur went to the Bureau with a complaint on August 12, 2025. That woman also complained that Rs 3.6 million was scammed from her after entering Telegram. She felt embarrassed to talk about the incident of her being scammed.

Madhesh Province-11 (symbolic name), a young man, reached the Bureau with a complaint on November 10, 2024. He said that he was scammed through WhatsApp. His complaint mentions that Rs 3.4 million was scammed. He is a student. The victim says that when he received a message offering money “earned sitting at home,” he conversed easily, and that led to him being severely scammed.

He, too, does not want to openly discuss the incident of his being scammed. “I am not in a position to say this anywhere. This is a matter of my privacy,” he says.

File Photo: Cyber bureau

Excluding these five individuals, 1,777 people have filed complaints with the Cyber Bureau in the last seven months about being scammed after clicking on posts related to “online jobs” on social media. The total amount mentioned in those complaints is Rs 480 million.

According to Superintendent of Police Awasthi, those who filed complaints said they were led to Telegram after clicking on “online job” advertisements and were scammed there. Fewer people have been scammed on WhatsApp.

The victims’ plea is for the money to be returned, but investigation officers at the Bureau say that this process is extremely complex. No one has been arrested in connection with the investigation of these five major incidents. The investigation has begun with some bank accounts put on hold.

According to one investigation officer, in this type of online fraud, African, European, and Indian mobile numbers have been used. The police have not yet been able to determine where that group is located and how it reached out to Nepali citizens.

This group has been found to be placing advertisements that spread to individual numbers and social media. These advertisements feature attractive details, including getting an online job while sitting at home.

One level of the operation is connecting with people on WhatsApp and Telegram and encouraging them to invest money. The other level manages the funds of the investing individuals during the conversation. The incidents show that the second level has been assigned by the first level for fund management. The money reaches the first-level gang using the account numbers of the second-level individuals.

According to Superintendent of Police Awasthi, those who filed complaints said they were led to Telegram after clicking on “online job” advertisements and were scammed there. Fewer people have been scammed on WhatsApp.

“There are individuals assigned who are told, ‘This much money will come into your account. Send that money to us. We will give you a seven to eight percent commission’,” the investigation officer says.

He states that most of the scammed money has already crossed the border. Most of the individuals assigned in this way have been seen in the Terai districts bordering India. It appears that the group uses two to three methods to send the money across the border. There is a group that physically carries the cash across the border. Then there is a group that opens many bank accounts for a single person, takes out multiple ATMs, and withdraws the money to conduct Hundi (illegal remittance).

The investigation officer also says that since Nepalese bank ATMs work in India, money is withdrawn there. It has also been found that the group takes control of the money by buying and selling Nepalese currency through Binance and PayPal.

“We are investigating the second-level individuals who are handling the money management. The first level has not yet been identified,” he says.

The investigation officer states that details have been requested from the concerned banks regarding how much money came from which individuals and where it went. “Some foreign IP addresses were seen. We have written letters to Internet Service Providers asking for information, but no reply has been received from them,” Awasthi says.

In some cases, the money has been returned to the concerned individual. But this process needs to be extremely swift so that the person whose account the money was sent to cannot withdraw it. “But by the time people arrive here at the Bureau, it is already late. By the time we write a letter to the bank to freeze the account, the money has already been withdrawn,” the Bureau officer says. “Therefore, it is extremely complex to bring back the money scammed in this way.”

According to Awasthi, Nepali law does not govern the social media platforms. “There is no mutual legal assistance in this type of fraud,” he says. “Only after Nepal once banned TikTok has it become possible to write to them and ask for cooperation. When we ask for legal assistance, they are not obliged to give it.”