Win trust, exploit greed: Chinese mafia modus operandi to siphon off crores

News Snapshot:

On May 22, Mihir Shah (name changed), a 33-year-old Vadodara-based stock broker, received a WhatsApp message promising him a “guaranteed income” of lakhs of rupees. All he had to do was ‘like’ YouTube videos of social media celebrities “who were willing to pay to increase the visibility”, the prospective “employers” told him. Within 10 minutes of completing his “first task” on a website he was directed to, Shah earned Rs 15,000. Without hesitating, Shah followed the subsequent instructions, trusting the “online employers” and “recharging” his online ‘work’ account with Rs 30 lakh — most of which was borrowed from friends...