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Bengaluru woman who tried returning spoilt milk ends up losing ₹77,000 to scamster
The scamster made the woman from Bengaluru follow a few instructions and entered her UPI pin in her app to steal money from her
After an elderly woman from Bengaluru, aged 65, ordered milk online, it turned out to be spoilt. Later, when she tried to return it, the woman ended up losing ₹77,000 to a scamster. The scamster made her follow a few instructions and entered her UPI pin in her app to steal money from her, as per reports.
Times of India (TOI) shared that the woman searched for the platform's customer care number online. Once she got hold of the phone number, she placed a call, after which a man claiming to be the executive of the grocery platform picked up her call. Later, the man told her she didn't need to return the milk. However, she would get her money back, all she had to do was follow a few instructions. (Also Read: How fraudsters pull off stock market investment scams: a step-by-step guide from Mumbai Police)
Then, she got a WhatsApp message with the UPI ID number 081958. The fraudster requested that she use her digital payment app, PhonePe, to select the "transfer money" option and click the "To Bank/UPI ID" icon. The woman did so without realising what he was about to do. The fraudster then forced her to select the UPI ID option and input the number he had supplied her on WhatsApp when a page opened. To receive her refund, the woman was instructed to click "pay" and input her UPI PIN after entering the final five digits of her cell phone. (Also Read: Senior citizen loses ₹8.6L to con while trying to buy US dollars)
The money was taken out of her account after she entered her PIN, and the fraudster ended the call. After realising she was duped, the woman contacted cyber helpline 1930 and then complained to the Byatarayanapura police.
A senior police officer told TOI, "We have taken up the case under the Information Technology Act and measures are taken to freeze the amount from the fraudster's account."
