Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi

Udupi, Sep 20: In a shocking case of online fraud, a woman from Shirva was cheated of Rs 4.1 lac after being threatened over a video call by a man posing as a police officer.

The victim has been identified as Linet Mendonca (52).

According to police, the incident occurred on September 18 afternoon, when Linet received a video call on her mobile phone. The caller, dressed in police uniform, claimed that a criminal case was registered against her and that her mobile number would be blocked. He further alleged that her bank account contained money linked to illegal activities and demanded that she transfer the amount to a "safe account" he specified, if she wished to secure her funds.

To convince her, the fraudster even sent a PDF file and instructed her not to disconnect the video call or inform anyone else. Speaking in Hindi and English, the caller threatened her until she believed he was a genuine police officer.

Fearing loss of her savings, Linet went to the Bank of Baroda branch and transferred Rs 4,10,000 via RTGS to the account given by the fraudster. However, the money was never returned.

Realising she had been cheated, the woman later lodged a complaint at the Shirva police station, where a case has now been registered.

Police have cautioned the public against falling prey to such scams and have urged people not to trust video calls or messages claiming to be from officials without proper verification.