‘Look Company’ scam: Meghalaya police issue urgent alert on investment fraud luring victims online

Meghalaya police have issued an urgent alert following a surge in reports about sophisticated investment scams operating under multiple business names across digital platforms.

The fraudulent schemes, which masquerade as legitimate companies including "Look Online Job," "LOOK COMPANY," "LOOK," and "Look Culture Media Ltd," have reportedly defrauded numerous victims of substantial sums.

The scam follows a well-established pattern that cybercrime experts describe as a classic pump-and-dump operation. Victims are initially contacted through what appears to be job-related communications, then gradually lured into investment opportunities promising unusually high returns.

Once individuals transfer money into these schemes, they find themselves unable to withdraw any supposed profits and face increasing pressure to deposit additional funds.

Unrealistic profit guarantees that seem too good to be true, followed by demands for additional payments before funds can be released. Victims report experiencing aggressive tactics pushing them to invest quickly, while the operators maintain complete opacity about their company registration and business operations. The schemes also offer referral incentives for bringing in new investors, a hallmark of pyramid-style fraud.

Police emphasise that anyone contacted by these entities should immediately cease all communication and avoid any financial transactions. Officials stress the importance of warning family and friends about these schemes and reporting incidents to the nearest Cyber Crime Police Station to help prevent others from becoming victims.

The cybercrime department has established dedicated reporting channels, with complaints accepted through cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the helpline numbers 1930 or 9402519391. Authorities note that prompt reporting not only helps individual cases but also assists in building comprehensive intelligence to combat these organised fraud networks.