In a first, Bengaluru woman loses ₹2 lakh after pressing ‘1’ on fake IVR call: Report

The woman received a call from a number resembling that of a nationalized bank, with the caller ID displaying SBI.

A Bengaluru woman fell victim to a sophisticated cyber scam, losing ₹2 lakh after responding to an automated phone call that mimicked a bank’s official Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

The incident took place on January 20. (Representational Image)(File)

According to Times of India report, the incident took place on January 20. The woman received a call from a number resembling that of a nationalized bank, with the caller ID displaying SBI, where she held an account.

The pre-recorded message claimed that ₹2 lakh was being transferred from her account and prompted her to confirm or dispute the transaction by pressing specific keys, the report added. Caught off guard, she hesitated but ultimately followed the instructions, selecting the option to deny the transfer. Moments later, the call ended, and a fresh alert showed that ₹2 lakh had disappeared from her account.

Realizing she had been duped, she rushed to her bank, where officials urged her to immediately report the fraud to the cybercrime helpline 1930 and lodge a complaint with the police, the report further added.

A case was subsequently registered under the Information Technology Act and IPC Section 318 (cheating).

New scam?

Cybercrime investigators suspect that scammers are employing a more advanced strategy than previously seen. While traditional IVR scams typically trick victims into sharing sensitive banking details, this case is unusual because no credentials were explicitly entered.

According to TOI, a senior police officer suggested that either the victim unknowingly provided key information or the fraudsters have developed a new technique to bypass security measures.

Investigators are probing whether a new IVR-based scam technique is in play.