Thiruvananthapuram: A woman from Kakkamoola here lost approximately Rs 23 lakh after being duped by scammers who sent her a 'Scratch and Win' card through courier. The victim fell for the scam when she received a card that promised a Rs 8 lakh prize.

In her attempt to claim the money, she ended up transferring Rs 22.9 lakh to the fraudsters. The scam began in December 2023. The woman was initially contacted by phone and informed that a 'Scratch and Win' card had been sent to her home.

Upon scratching the card, she was told she had won Rs 8 lakh. The caller then demanded payment of GST, processing fees, and income tax for her to claim the prize. The fraudsters assured her that these payments would be refunded along with the prize money. Trusting their claims, the woman transferred the required amount to the scammers.

The deception came to light only recently when her father became aware of the situation. Realising it was a scam, he urged her to report the matter to the police immediately. Following her complaint, Cyber police registered a case and initiated an investigation.