Discounted IPL tickets advertised online proved to be a costly trap for a 35-year-old Kolkata woman who fell victim to a sophisticated scam. A resident of the Girish Park area, she was lured by an Instagram advertisement that offered “discounts” on the tickets, and suffered a loss of Rs 12,000, police said on Friday.

When the victim contacted the sellers through the platform, she was asked to pay 30 per cent of the total “ticket cost”. Once she transferred the money, she received a “confirmation” via email and was instructed to pay the remaining balance.

Police said that after she completed the payment, the victim was blocked on all communication channels by the accused.

A complaint was lodged at the Girish Park police station and the cyber crime department on March 15. Investigations revealed that the Rs 12,000 paid by the victim was credited to a private bank account, according to police. A probe to trace those responsible and recover the defrauded money is on.

“We appeal to people not to fall into the trap of those capitalising on the popularity of high-profile events like the Indian Premier League,” said an official. Police officials urged the public to exercise caution when purchasing tickets or making online transactions, especially from unverified sources on social media platforms.