Indore woman loses Rs 1.20 lakh to cyber fraud while booking hospital appointment

Indore: A Indore woman allegedly lost more than Rs 1.20 lakh in a cyber fraud after contacting a phone number found through a Google search to book a hospital appointment. 

The incident took place on August 20 in the Pardeshipura police station area. According to police, the woman was trying to schedule an appointment at Lilavati Hospital and searched online for the hospital's contact number. 

She called a number displayed in the search results and spoke to a person who claimed to handle doctor appointments. The caller reportedly collected her details and sent her a link, telling her that she needed to pay Rs 5 to confirm the appointment.

The woman entered her debit card details through the link and completed the small payment. However, around 30 minutes later, she began receiving messages about money being deducted from her bank account.

Police said approximately Rs 1.20 lakh was withdrawn through six unauthorised transactions within a short period. 

After noticing the unauthorised transactions, the woman and her family contacted the bank and blocked her debit card and other linked banking facilities. They also tried calling the number used by the alleged fraudster, but the call reportedly went unanswered.

The family subsequently approached the cybercrime helpline and reported the incident. Pardeshipura police subsequently registered an FIR on Wednesday and launched an investigation.

According to a report by The 420, renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said fake helpline numbers and fraudulent contact details have increasingly become tools for establishing trust with potential victims. According to him, people should not blindly trust a number obtained through a Google search. Any link received for an appointment, payment or verification should be independently verified before it is opened or used.

He also stressed that debit card numbers, CVV details, PINs, OTPs and internet banking credentials should never be shared with unknown persons or entered on suspicious websites.

Investigators are examining the mobile number used to contact the woman as well as the link through which her financial details were allegedly obtained. Police are also tracing the accounts that may have received the transferred funds.

The incident highlights the risks of relying on hospital contact numbers appearing in online search results, particularly when making payments or sharing banking information. Police are investigating how the fake number and link were used in the alleged fraud and are working to identify those responsible.