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60 fake lottery apps claiming Kerala Govt affiliation unearthed; notices issued to Google, Meta

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60 fake lottery apps claiming Kerala Govt affiliation unearthed; notices issued to Google, Meta

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Police have issued notices to Google and Meta to remove apps and ads promoting fake lottery tickets falsely claiming to be associated with the Kerala Government lottery. The authorities have so far found 60 fraudulent apps, 25 fake Facebook profiles, and 20 websites involved in the scam.

The scam involves deceptive advertisements for the Kerala Mega Millions Lottery and Kerala Summer Season Dhamaka. These fraudulent messages falsely claim that the Kerala government has launched an online lottery, promising prizes of up to Rs 12 crore for a Rs 40 investment.

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Victims receive fake lottery tickets via WhatsApp after payment and are later informed of a winning Rs 5 lakh. A person impersonating a government official then contacts the victims, requesting additional payments for stamp duty and GST fees to release the lottery prize. Further demands for money are made under the pretense that the RBI has seized the prize. The fraudsters also use fake documents and videos to earn the trust of their victims.

Such apps typically emerge during major Kerala lottery draws. The Cyber Division of the Kerala Police has previously removed similar apps during the Vishnu Bumper draw.

Those affected by lottery fraud should contact 1930 to file a complaint.

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