Kerala Police warns Google and Meta to take action against online gambling

Google has been asked by the Kerala police to remove applications from the Play Store that are promoting fake online lottery apps under the state's lottery brand. Additionally, Meta received a warning from the Kerala police asking to take down the fake lottery advertisements from Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

According to a press release from the State Police Media Centre (SPMC), the Kerala police also sent a notice to Meta, asking it to remove ads for these fake lotteries from Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

Cyber patrols found that 60 fake lottery apps, 25 fake Facebook profiles, and 20 websites were involved in the scam, following which the police acted on the same. It said that stringent legal action will be taken against those who are behind the fraud.

The police explained that fake ads for 'Kerala Megamillion Lottery' and 'Kerala Summer Season Dhamaka' have been circulating on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. These ads falsely claim that people can buy state-run lotteries online.

People are also receiving messages on their phones claiming that the Kerala government has started an online lottery, where on spending Rs 40, one can get a chance to win up to Rs 12 crore. When someone sends Rs 40 to the number mentioned in the message, they receive a fake lottery ticket image on WhatsApp.