Kathmandu: As online services for room rentals, food delivery and shopping become increasingly popular, so too are the risks of falling victim to scams. In the Kathmandu Valley, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur districts, reports of online fraud are on the rise, with young people being the most frequent targets.
One recent victim is 21-year-old Sumitra Dhungana from Lalitpur. Originally from Kaski, she moved to Lalitpur for higher studies and initially stayed in a hostel. Wanting more independence, she decided to find a private room. Short on time, she spotted an attractive Facebook ad promising an affordable, fully furnished room with all amenities. The ad included a phone number, but Sumitra chose to communicate via Facebook Messenger to avoid direct calls.
The broker insisted that she would only be shown the room after making an advance payment. After some hesitation, Sumitra sent Rs 2,000 via QR code. A week passed with no follow-up, and repeated messages and calls went unanswered. Eventually, she realized she had been scammed and filed a complaint at Lalitpur District Police Office.
Another case involves Rakesh Chaudhary, an Instagram user who saw an appealing pair of shoes online. He messaged the seller, who shared photos and demanded payment upfront. Rakesh transferred Rs 3,500, expecting delivery the same evening. The shoes never arrived, and the seller stopped responding to calls and messages. He too reported the incident to Lalitpur police.
Salina Maharjan, another Lalitpur resident, was tricked while ordering food online. She placed an order for chicken tandoori, naan, and pizza through a delivery service, paying Rs 2,800 (including service charges) in advance as required. The food was promised within an hour and a half, but it never arrived. Phone calls went unanswered, and messages were ignored. She filed a police complaint the next day.
Lalitpur District Police report that they now receive around 100 complaints of online fraud every day, mostly from young individuals. Spokesperson Chakra Raj Joshi said the victims often lose amounts ranging from a few thousand to lakhs of rupees.
“People seeking online services are increasingly getting scammed,” Joshi said. “Young people, being more tech-savvy, are the ones most likely to use these platforms and end up being tricked.”
He advised the public to deal only with officially registered companies that pay taxes and are linked to government records. “Before using any online service, verify if the company is legitimate,” Joshi emphasized. “Money should always be transferred to a company account, not a personal one. This helps confirm the business is genuine.”
Data from Lalitpur police show a steady increase in financial and economic crimes, including fraud, cooperative scams, banking offenses, and illegal transactions. In the fiscal year 2022/23, 470 cases were registered, leading to 23 arrests and Rs 782 million in fraud. The following year (2023/24) saw 874 cases, 265 arrests, and Rs 2.87 billion in losses.
In the current fiscal year 2025/26, up to Mangsir (November/December), 337 cases have been registered, with 39 arrests and Rs 952 million in reported fraud.
Police urge caution. Always verify the authenticity of online sellers or service providers, avoid advance payments to unknown parties, and report incidents promptly to help curb the growing wave of digital fraud.
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