A Gujarat woman was tricked into transferring ₹1.91 lakh after seeking a refund for spoiled milk, highlighting a rising trend of sophisticated fake refund scams exploiting trust and urgency within India’s digital payment system.
A 63-year-old retired woman in Gujarat’s Rajkot was allegedly cheated out of ₹1.91 lakh after she sought help over a spoiled milk delivery worth just ₹175, in a case that highlights how quickly a routine refund complaint can be turned into a large digital payment fraud. According to local reports, the woman had ordered five packets of milk through Zepto and later found they were rotten, prompting her to search online for customer service details.
Police said she dialled a number that appeared in search results and was connected to a caller claiming to be a Zepto customer care executive named Ismail Ansari. The caller allegedly persuaded her that the problem could be resolved through a UPI process and then sent an APK file, which she was asked to install before following further steps. Investigators said that sequence enabled transfers to multiple bank accounts and UPI IDs.
The complaint was later taken to the national cyber helpline, and an FIR has been filed at Rajkot City Cyber Crime Police Station against those linked to the phone numbers and bank accounts used in the fraud. Officials have invoked cheating provisions and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, while police continue tracing the accounts and mobile numbers involved.
The case fits a broader pattern of so-called fake refund scams across India’s UPI system, in which fraudsters exploit frustration, urgency and trust to push victims into approving payments instead of receiving money. Cyber safety guides circulating this year have warned users to verify the developer and company behind any app, check whether a lender or service is properly regulated and be wary of collect requests, QR-code traps and phone numbers pulled from search results. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre’s CyberDost account has also urged victims to call 1930 or report incidents on the cybercrime portal as soon as possible.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
