54‑year‑old loses ₹6.9 lakh after phone hacked in Mangaluru

Mangaluru: A 54‑year‑old man was allegedly cheated of Rs 6.9 lakh after unidentified fraudsters hacked his mobile phone and carried out unauthorised online transactions from multiple bank accounts.

According to the complaint filed at Kavoor police station, the victim noticed several SMS alerts on May 4 and found, on checking the bank’s mobile application, that money had been transferred without his knowledge. He lodged a complaint with the 1930 cyber helpline.

A bank statement from the Kavoor branch showed that over Rs 3. 7 lakh was transferred in phases via UPI on May 3 to an account with a digital banking service provider. Verification of another account at the Kuloor branch revealed a further transfer of over Rs 3.1 lakh via UPI on the same day to the same service provider’s account and another bank account. A separate cyber helpline complaint was filed. The total amount siphoned off was over Rs 6.9 lakh, according to police.