Mangaluru/Kannur: A 41-year-old woman from Kannur fell victim to cyber fraud after losing her mobile phone during a train journey, resulting in nearly ₹4 lakh being withdrawn fraudulently from her bank account.
Phone lost during train journey
According to police, the complainant was travelling by train from Kannur to Mangaluru Central Railway Station on August 16 when she misplaced her mobile phone. She immediately contacted Canara Bank customer care and Jio customer service to report the loss.
Two days later, on August 18, her brother called the missing number. A man answered, introducing himself as Rajesh, claiming the phone had been found along the Salem–Coimbatore route and would be handed over to the Coimbatore Railway Police by 5:30 pm.
Suspicious transactions discovered
Trusting the call, the woman waited for updates. When none came, she filed a missing phone complaint at Irrity Police Station in Kannur.
After obtaining a new phone and SIM card, she checked her Canara Bank account, only to find multiple suspicious transactions between August 16 and 18, totalling ₹4,09,000.
Further investigation revealed that an unknown account had deposited ₹1 lakh into her account, which was then withdrawn in multiple transactions, leaving her with a substantial financial loss.
Police register case
The Mangaluru South police have registered a case and are investigating the cyber fraud incident. Authorities have warned the public to remain vigilant and avoid sharing personal banking information or trusting unsolicited calls claiming to recover lost devices.