KARKALA: An individual from Kasaba village fell victim to an online fraud scheme, losing ₹76,000 after being deceived by a caller pretending to be a bank representative.
The fraudster, who identified himself as Manoj Sharma, contacted Balachandra on September 30, claiming to be from HDFC Bank and offering to resolve issues related to his banking accounts.
Balachandra, who holds credit cards from both Axis Bank and HDFC Bank, was tricked into sharing details of his accounts, including One-Time Password (OTP) information during the call. The fraudster extracted sensitive information related to both accounts.
On October 1, between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM, a total of ₹76,188 was fraudulently deducted from Balachandra’s credit cards at both banks. Upon realising the scam, Balachandra promptly reported the incident to the Karkala Town Police Station, where a case has been registered.
This case highlights the growing trend of cyber fraud in which scammers pose as legitimate bank officials to deceive unsuspecting individuals. Authorities have once again urged the public to exercise caution and avoid sharing sensitive banking information over the phone or online.