Google, Meta gets notice from Kerala Police to remove apps, ads linked to fake lotteries – Times of India

Kerala Police has reportedly sent a notice to Google, Meta over apps and ads that are linked to fake lotteries. According to the news agency PTI, the state police has asked Google to remove 60 fake lottery apps from its Google Play Store. A similar notice has been sent to Meta to remove advertisements of such fake lotteries from social media platforms Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram managed by it.

Fake ads circulating via social media

In a press release, the State Police Media Centre (SPMC) said that fake advertisements in the name of ‘Kerala Megamillion Lottery’ and ‘Kerala Summer Season Dhamaka’ have been circulating on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram and Instagram for some time stating that lotteries run by the state government can be bought online.
After a cyber patrolling, the police discovered 60 apps, 25 fake Facebook profiles and 20 websites that are connected to the scam, the SPMC release said.

Details of the fake lottery scam

The police said that people also get messages on their phones stating that the Kerala government has started an online lottery and on spending Rs 40 rupees there is a chance to win up to Rs 12 crore. Victims who send Rs 40 on the number mentioned in the message get a fake lottery ticket image via WhatsApp.
The fraudsters then send artificially fabricated results to make the victim believe that the ticket has won a prize of Rs 5 lakh. From here, a scammer posing as a government representative calls the ‘ticket holder’ and asks them to transfer a certain amount to a bank account towards ‘GST’ and ‘stamp duty’ to receive the prize money.
“Victims are provided with artificially produced documents and videos to make every step seem believable,” the SPMC release said. The fraudsters demand more money claiming that the RBI is holding on to the prize, forcing the victim to pay.
The police have urged the public to be careful not to fall prey to such online lottery scams and to immediately call on the number 1930 if they suspect that a financial fraud is taking place.