In two separate incidents reported in Udupi district, elderly individuals lost nearly ₹2 lakh to cyber fraudsters posing as professionals.
In the first case, a 71-year-old man from Manipal lost ₹98,000 while trying to rent out his house through OLX and 99Acres. On July 30, he was contacted by a caller pretending to be an Army officer transferred to Udupi. During a conference call with another person posing as a superior officer, he was asked to fill an online form sent via WhatsApp. The form requested a ₹5 deposit as a verification step. After successfully receiving a ₹5 credit, the caller assured him of receiving ₹48,000 and ₹50,000 if he continued filling out similar forms. The scam escalated when the fraudster requested his internet banking credentials, which the complainant refused to share. However, by the next morning, he discovered ₹98,000 had been withdrawn fraudulently. A complaint was lodged at Manipal Police Station under relevant sections of BNS and the IT Act.
In the second case, 59-year-old Hariprasad, who had taken a home loan a decade ago bundled with a life insurance policy, was tricked into transferring ₹90,000. On February 17, a person claiming to represent the insurance firm called him about pending premium dues and sent a fraudulent payment link via Google Pay. Later, when he verified with the insurance company, he realised he had been duped. A case was filed at Udupi Town Police Station.