Bengaluru
A 50-year-old homemaker in Bengaluru lost over ₹3 lakh to a cyber criminal who she came in contact with following an online search to fix a poor network problem in her mobile phone.
On June 22, the woman, a resident of Babusapalya, was unable to talk properly over the phone. Fed up with the network problem, she did a quick online search to find the customer care number of the service provider. The search result threw up a number. On calling the number, she came in contact with a man who claimed to be a customer care executive of a network provider.
On informing him about the problem, he instructed the woman to download a remote access and remote control software, mainly used for maintenance of computers and other electronic devices. After the woman downloaded the software, she shared her screen with the ‘customer care executive’, giving him access to her phone. The ‘executive’ instructed the woman to pay ₹2 via Google Pay to 9583929517. The woman did as instructed.
The police suspect that the the ‘executive’ was closely monitoring the application when the woman was carrying out the transaction. Later, he took control of the app and began to transfer money out of her accounts. He transferred ₹2.52 lakh in three different transactions through the payment app while the woman was unaware of what was happening on her mobile phone.
After emptying money from two bank accounts — one operated by the woman and another by her daughter, he moved swiftly to another account in a small finance bank, from which he removed ₹57,000.
Alarmed by multiple messages coming from banks about money being removed from her accounts, the woman enquired with the fake executive. He replied that the money will be returned in 24 hours, and she need not have to worry.
When the woman insisted that he return the money immediately, he disconnected the call, and went incommunicado.
An FIR has been registered at East Cyber Crime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) police station in Bengaluru.
