What began as a simple attempt to cancel a home-cleaning service ended in a costly cyber fraud for a Bengaluru doctor, who allegedly lost Rs 1.7 lakh after contacting a fake customer care number found online.
The victim, Dr Imtiaz Zafar, a resident of Lakkasandra in Wilson Garden, had booked a cleaning service through the Urban Company app. According to his complaint, the service provider assigned to the job was scheduled to arrive at 9.15 am on June 7.
However, when the worker failed to turn up even after several hours, the doctor decided to seek assistance from customer support.
Search for help leads to fraud
Unable to reach the service provider, Dr Zafar searched online for the company’s customer care number and contacted a mobile number displayed on the internet.
The person who answered the call identified himself as Rakesh Sharma and claimed to be a customer care executive. When the doctor requested cancellation of the booking, the caller allegedly guided him through a series of steps under the pretext of processing the request.
Police said the fraudster allegedly manipulated the process and gained access to the doctor’s banking-linked digital payment application.
Unauthorised transactions drain account
According to the complaint, several unauthorised transactions were carried out from Dr Zafar’s bank account between June 8 and June 10.
The fraudulent withdrawals resulted in a total loss of Rs 1.7 lakh.
The doctor reportedly became aware of the fraud only on June 12, after noticing the transactions and reviewing his account details.
Police launch investigation
Following the discovery, Dr Zafar contacted the national cybercrime helpline and subsequently approached Adugodi police.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, and an investigation is underway to trace those involved in the fraud.
Police have once again urged citizens to verify customer care numbers through official websites and mobile applications, warning that fraudsters often create fake helpline listings to target unsuspecting users.