Mumbai: Man duped by phoney customer service executive, loses Rs 73k while tracking online order

A 42-year-old Bhayandar-based businessman lost Rs.73,190 while tracking the online order for hair-oil worth Rs.1948. The cyber-crook, by using a fake customer care number of a courier service, tricked the complainant and transferred over Rs 73,000 from his account.

In his statement to the police, the complaint said that he had placed an online order for hair oil worth Rs. 1948. When he failed to receive the product, he contacted the customer care number of the courier service, which he found on an online search engine.

The cyber-crook posing as a courier service executive tricked the complainant to click a link and download an application to make a payment of Rs. 10 for further processing to get the parcel delivered at his doorstep.

The complainant complied, and minutes later, a total of Rs.73,190 was fraudulently transferred from his bank accounts via three transactions. The cyber crooks were apparently able to see the complainant’s mobile activities through the virtue of the sharing app, which was used to steal the one-time passwords (OTP’s) and withdraw the money.

Cyber criminals are using fake customer care numbers to cheat internet users. Meanwhile, an offence under the relevant sections of the IPC and Information Technology Act has been registered against unknown people at the Uttan coastal police station. Further investigations were underway.