A woman in Rajkot lost nearly two lakh rupees after falling victim to a phishing scam disguised as a refund for spoiled milk, highlighting the rising threat of online frauds in India.
A 63-year-old woman in Rajkot lost ₹1.91 lakh after what began as a routine attempt to reclaim ₹175 for spoiled milk, according to Aaj Tak. The case has been registered with the city cyber crime police, which is now tracing the mobile numbers, UPI IDs and bank accounts used in the fraud.
The woman, who lives in a society on Jamnagar Road, had ordered five packets of milk through Zepto. When she found the milk had gone bad, she searched online for the company’s customer care number to seek a refund. That search led her to a number that appeared genuine, but the caller identified himself as Ismail Ansari and claimed to be a Zepto employee.
Police said the fraudster then moved the conversation to WhatsApp and sent an APK file, a type of Android application package that can give scammers access to a phone if installed. Believing she was completing a refund process, the woman carried out multiple transactions that diverted ₹97,072 from her Bank of Baroda account and ₹94,262 from her ICICI Bank account into different accounts, taking the total loss to ₹1,91,334.
She realised something was wrong only after receiving debit messages. She then called the national cyber helpline 1930 and filed a complaint. Aaj Tak reported that police have lodged an FIR and are investigating the case. The episode comes amid a wider pattern of online frauds in India, including shopping scams that use fake customer support numbers, repeated payment requests and deceptive links or files. Police have again urged people to use only official company websites for contact details and to avoid installing files sent through messaging apps.
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.
