Udupi: A 56-year-old resident of Udupi was recently duped of ₹38,000 in an elaborate online fraud. The victim, Padmanabha, received a phone call from an individual pretending to be an Army official in search of rental accommodation.
The impersonator promised to pay ₹25,000 as a token advance along with a ₹13,000 monthly rent. To proceed with the transaction, he convinced Padmanabha to send ₹1 via Google Pay, calling it a “verification process.”
During the conversation, the fraudster cleverly extracted sensitive banking details from Padmanabha. Shortly after, a total of ₹38,000 was fraudulently withdrawn from his bank account.
Manipal police have registered a formal case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 316(2), 318(4), and 319(2), along with relevant sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, which deal with identity theft and deception through digital means.
Authorities have launched a detailed investigation and are working to trace the scammer, who is currently untraceable.
Police have urged the public to remain cautious when dealing with unknown callers and to avoid sharing personal or financial details over the phone. Cybercrime units are also actively monitoring similar frauds occurring across the coastal belt.