What started as a cost error at a toll gate changed into a monetary rip-off for a 42-year-old personal worker from Hyderabad, who ended up shedding over ₹2.28 lakh to a web-based fraudster posing as a consultant of Unified Funds Interface (UPI).
The sufferer was en path to Karnataka to attend his mom’s funeral and booked a cab for ₹11,000. After paying ₹4,000 for gasoline, he agreed to pay the remaining ₹7,000 upon arrival. Nonetheless, at a toll gate, he mistakenly scanned a QR code linked to SBI FASTAG NETC, meaning to pay the driving force however as an alternative it was an unrelated cost.
Alarmed, he reported the difficulty to Canara Financial institution’s Emmiganuru department, which acknowledged the criticism and suggested him to contact UPI officers. Looking on-line for assist, the sufferer discovered a cellphone quantity claiming to be from the Nationwide Funds Company of India (NPCI). Trusting the supply, he referred to as it, unaware that it was a part of an elaborate rip-off.
The person on the opposite finish, claiming to be a UPI assist agent, instructed him to lodge a criticism and promised a swift refund. To facilitate the refund, the fraudster satisfied the sufferer to switch cash utilizing the PhonePe app, claiming the quantity could be immediately returned. He was then advised the transaction was “on maintain” and requested to ship extra funds to finish the method.
Misled and determined to recuperate his cash, the sufferer adopted additional directions, together with opening his Canara Financial institution cellular app, growing his credit score restrict, and sharing delicate ATM and OTP particulars. The fraudster used this data to siphon off the remaining funds. Regardless of repeated follow-ups and assurances of a full refund inside 5 minutes, the sufferer obtained no cash. The fraudster ultimately grew to become unreachable.
The sufferer lodged a web-based criticism on cybercrime portal. The case is beneath investigation.
Printed – April 24, 2025 08:40 pm IST
