Kaup: A senior citizen in Kaup escaped a cyber fraud trap after being lured with an offer of Rs 50 lakh for special coins featuring the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' seal, thanks to a timely alert from a member of the public, an incident that came to light on Saturday, August 1.
An unknown person who made contact via WhatsApp asked the senior citizen to send photos of special coins if he possessed any. After reviewing the images, the fraudster convinced him that such coins were in high demand and could fetch up to Rs 50 lakh. He then stated that registration was mandatory to complete the transaction and instructed him to pay a fee of Rs 550 via a QR code. Believing this, the senior citizen transferred the money through a customer service center and sent copies of his bank details and identity card.
A short while later, the scammer called again, demanding Rs 2,500 under the pretext of paying government taxes. When the senior citizen contacted an acquaintance due to a lack of funds, the acquaintance warned him that this could be a new cyber fraud tactic.
During a subsequent conversation with the fraudster, the scammer insisted that the payment must be made only through Google Pay or a QR code. When asked for his address, he claimed to be in Ishwar Nagar, Manipal, but refused to accept cash. An argument ensued, and as soon as the senior citizen's side mentioned filing a police complaint, the scammer disconnected the call. The entire conversation had taken place in Kannada.
Upon contacting the police department later, officials informed them that the phone number likely originated from Bihar and that the fraud attempt was made via a conference call. The police advised filing a complaint on the National Cyber Helpline number 1930.