Mangaluru: Four separate cases of alleged online financial fraud have been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station in Mangaluru, with victims reportedly losing more than Rs 9.4 lakh in different incidents.
The cases involve a fake traffic violation notice, unauthorised debit card transactions, an investment scheme promising high returns and alleged fraudulent credit card transactions.
Rs 3 lakh lost after fake traffic notice
In the first case, a vehicle owner allegedly lost around Rs 3 lakh after receiving a fake traffic violation notice on WhatsApp.
According to the complaint, the victim received a message on September 20 asking him to pay a Rs 1,000 fine for a traffic violation. The message contained a link, which the victim clicked.
Following this, an application named ‘mParivahan’ was downloaded onto his mobile phone. Subsequently, several transactions were carried out from the victim’s savings account, with around Rs 3 lakh transferred to different bank accounts.
The victim later realised that the traffic notice and the application had allegedly been used as part of a financial fraud.
Police have registered a case and are investigating the transactions and the accounts to which the money was transferred.
Rs 2.44 lakh lost through debit card
In another case, a person allegedly lost Rs 2.44 lakh after his debit card was compromised.
The victim noticed that money had been deducted from his bank account without his knowledge. He received messages regarding the transactions on September 19 and subsequently realised that he had allegedly been defrauded.
The circumstances surrounding the unauthorised transactions and the manner in which the debit card details were obtained are being investigated.
Rs 2.03 lakh lost in investment fraud
A third case relates to an alleged investment fraud in which a person lost Rs 2.03 lakh after being promised high returns.
According to the complaint, a woman who introduced herself as Bhoodevi contacted the victim on June 27. She allegedly persuaded him to invest money through an application called Future Book Sea Technology.
The victim subsequently downloaded an application named FBT and began making transactions as instructed.
According to the complaint, he eventually lost Rs 2.03 lakh through several transactions. The victim later realised that he had allegedly been trapped in an investment fraud and approached the police.
The police are investigating the identity of the person who contacted the victim, the applications used and the financial transactions linked to the case.
Credit card transactions worth Rs 1.98 lakh
In the fourth case, a person allegedly lost Rs 1.98 lakh through unauthorised credit card transactions.
The victim received messages on September 19 from Amazon Pay Private Limited and Facebook.com ADSMA regarding transactions totalling Rs 1.98 lakh.
According to the complaint, the transactions had been carried out using the victim’s credit card without his authorisation. The victim approached the CEN Crime Police Station after noticing the transactions.
Police have registered a case and are examining the transaction details to determine how the credit card was allegedly misused.
Police investigating online fraud cases
The four cases together involve alleged losses of approximately Rs 9.45 lakh. Police are investigating the individual complaints, transaction trails, bank accounts and digital platforms associated with the alleged frauds.
The cases highlight the risks associated with clicking links received through unsolicited messages, downloading applications from unknown sources and responding to investment offers promising unusually high returns.
Victims of unauthorised online financial transactions are advised to immediately inform their bank and report the incident to the cybercrime authorities so that efforts can be made to trace or freeze the transferred funds.