India, Sept. 16 -- Lately, social media is crawling with ads promising sky-high payouts for old Rs.5 or Rs.10 coins, lakhs, even crores. It looks tempting. But this promise is part of a scam: flashy ads, fake assurances, upfront fees and ultimately, nothing but empty wallets. Here's what's really going on and how to stay clean of it.

Scammers run ads on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube: "Your ordinary old coins can fetch you lakhs!" These posts often use fake RBI logos, testimonials, and claims that some lucky sellers already got paid huge sums. Interested people call or message; then the fraudsters "evaluate" the coins and declare them worth far more than any reasonable market value.

Next comes the trap: you're asked to pay for "verificati...