Karnataka Doctor loses Rs 22 lakh to cyber fraudsters

Published On 2025-12-22 09:00 GMT | Update On 2025-12-22 09:01 GMT

Cyber Crime

Mangaluru: In a shocking case, a Karnataka- based doctor reportedly lost Rs 22 lakh to a sophisticated cyber fraud that involved promises of a huge monetary reward. The fraud began when a person claiming to be from abroad contacted the doctor, offering 25 lakh US dollars as appreciation for his work.

According to the police, soon after, another individual, claiming to be a Customs Officer, called the doctor and said that a parcel addressed to him had arrived and that customs duty had to be paid to release it. Over the course of three days, the doctor visited a local Canara Bank branch to transfer amounts to different accounts as instructed by the fraudsters.

Also Read:Thiruvanathapuram doctor duped of Rs 1.11 crore in share trading scam

Suspicious of the transactions, the Canara Bank official informed the Cyber Economic and Narcotic Crime (CEN) police and asked the police to verify the transactions. On Saturday, the CEN police confirmed that the doctor was a victim of cyber fraud and had already lost Rs 22 lakh.

After being informed of the scam, the doctor stopped further transfers and filed a formal complaint with the authorities.

Such scams, officials noted, increasingly rely on social engineering rather than technical hacking, manipulating victims into bypassing safeguards themselves. “This was not a case of a system breach but of deception,” a police officer involved in the inquiry said. “The fraudsters convinced the victim to act quickly, creating a sense of urgency,” reports the 420.

Speaking to the Hindu, Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said the police recently held a meeting of bankers. They were asked to keep monitoring suspicious transactions of customers and identify potential cyber fraud to protect the customers. The outreach act of the police has helped to save the doctor from losing money further, Mr. Reddy said.

Also Read:Hyderabad doctor loses Rs 14.61 crore in online trading scam

Police officials have advised the public to enable transaction alerts, set daily transfer limits, and report suspicious activity to both banks and law enforcement immediately. “Speed is critical,” said an official. “The faster a fraud is reported, the better the chances of limiting losses.”

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Rumela De Sarkar

With a keen interest in storytelling and a dedication to uncovering facts, Rumela De Sarkar joined Medical Dialogues as a Correspondent in 2024. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of North Bengal. Rumela covers a wide range of healthcare topics, including medical news, policy updates, and developments related to doctors, hospitals, and medical education

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Karnataka Doctor loses Rs 22 lakh to cyber fraudsters

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