Online fraud: Woman loses Rs 3.55 lakh

A woman from Neelavara village in Brahmavar fell prey to an online fraud and has lost Rs 3.55 lakh.

The victim is Pallavi, 29, wife of one Sridhar. She works as a nurse in Manipal.

Pallavi had received a ‘Scratch Win’ coupon on April 25, 2019. Believing it to be genuine, she scratched it and found that she had won Rs 12 lakh.

Pallavi then contacted a mobile phone number written on the coupon and the man on the other side introduced him as Ashwin Kumar, a representative of online store--Naaptol.

He then convinced her that to receive the prize money, she has to send Rs 3,55,800 to different bank accounts.

The fruadster had told Pallavi that money includes service charge, GST and other taxes. Meanwhile, Pallavi was also contacted by one Ajay Kumar, who also asked her to send the amount to claim the prize money. Later, Pallavi realised that she had fallen prey to an online fraud. She has filed a complaint at cybercrime, economic offences and narcotics (CEN) police station.

Udupi CEN station PSI Seetharam said that a case had been registered under sections of IT Act and IPC.

Pallavi used to buy items through Naaptol which is indeed a genuine company. But the fraudsters hacked the details of the transaction made by Pallavi with Naaptol and sent the coupon to her address that she mentioned during the transaction.

The present location of the fraudster is showing as Bihar state, while bank account to which Pallavi deposited the money is situated in West Bengal, he added.