Online directory gives fake number, doc loses Rs 5K

An ayurvedic doctor was conned out of Rs 5,000 after entering his UPI PIN on a link sent by a dubious travel agent.

Kiran Kumar (32) called up an online phone directory on May 31, seeking the phone number of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to book an air ticket to Bidar. He wanted to travel to a Maharashtra village close to Bidar to drop off his pregnant wife at her native place.

The customer care sent him the phone numbers of several travel agents. When Kumar dialled one of those numbers, the person on the other line introduced himself as Dipak Sharma, an airport employee, and promised him all help in booking the ticket.

He then asked him to pay Re 1 through PhonePe as a “confirmation fee” for Covid-19 verification. When Kumar entered his UPI PIN to make the payment, Rs 5,000 was deducted from his bank account.

Kumar immediately called the person and demanded an explanation. The “travel agent” was far more cunning. He asked him not to worry and said he would send another link for paying Re 1. The link, however, showed he had to pay Rs 1,800.

A furious Kumar rang up Sharma again and demanded an explanation. But Sharma promised that only Re 1 would be deducted. When Kumar refused to pay, Sharma blackmailed him, asking him to pay Rs 1,800 or lose all the money in his account. Kumar hung up and went to the police.

A case was subsequently registered at the West CEN (Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics) police station under the Information Technology Act. A police officer said frauds using the airport’s name to cheat people was “outrageous” and called for strict action against the online directory for listing fraudulent phone numbers.