Mumbai: 71-year-old woman loses Rs 2.15 lakh to cyber fraud

A 71-year-old woman lost Rs 2.15 lakh after she tried to reach out to a repair service through Google search and contacted the number she found.

The incident took place on March 19 when the victim, a resident of Lokhandwala, tried to contact a repair service after her sandwich maker machine had broken down.

According to the police, the fraudster first asked the victim to pay ₹5 via Google Pay as a service fee, however, as the victim faced difficulties in procedures, the accused asked to share the mobile screen, pretending to assist her.

Taking advantage of the shared access, the fraudster gained full control over the device and changed the screen lock. 

“As soon as the victim granted screen access, the fraudster transferred ₹2.15 lakh from her bank account through multiple transactions. He then changed the phone’s lock PIN and switched off the device, leaving the victim unable to access her phone,” said an officer from Oshiwara police station. 

Shocked and extremely worried, the victim informed her son, who tried to restart the phone but was unable to do so as its lock PIN was changed.

The son then called the bank and blocked the account, preventing further loss, and reported the fraud to the cyber police. A case was registered at the Oshiwara police station based on the complaint filed by the victim. 

“On the complaint of the woman, we have registered a case under sections 319(2) and 318(4) of BNS and sections 66(D) and 66(C) of the IT Act. Further investigation is underway,” said the officer.