Police in India have launched an investigation after someone tried to sell the world's largest statue online for $4 billion.
The scammer claimed the proceeds from the sale of the 'Statue of Unity', a monument nearly twice the size of New York's Statue of Liberty, would go towards funding the Gujarat state government's fight against COVID-19.
Local police say cybercrimes have surged since the coronavirus crisis gripped the country, with everything from free Netflix subscriptions to free mobile credit.
Investigators say scammers have created fake versions of the official "PM CARES Fund" interface which looks very similar to the original.
"We have received over 8,300 complaints from individuals across India and NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) who have donated thousands of dollars into fake accounts," a senior home ministry official told Reuters.
Several cases are also under investigation regarding the fraudulent Netflix and phone service deals.
The Statue of Unity is situated in the Indian state Gujarat. It is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the first Home Minister of India.
