Beware! Mumbai woman falls prey to cyber fraud while trying to help injured bird, loses Rs 1 lakh

A woman named Dhwani Mehta discovered an injured bird at her workplace in Mumbai. She wanted to help the bird but ended up becoming a victim of cyber fraud.

The scam was reported by the Hindustan Times. Here is the importance of being vigilant online and cautious when dealing with unfamiliar toll-free numbers.

Cyber Fraud

According to the Hindustan Times report, Dhwani Mehta, upon discovering the injured bird at her workplace in Mumbai, the woman sought assistance by browsing the internet for bird rescue organisations.

Unbeknownst to her, unforeseen consequences awaited her as she came across a toll-free number associated with an NGO, which she believed could provide the help she needed.

Tragically, the people who answered Dhwani's call pretended to be helpful but later turned out to be cyber fraudsters.

They took advantage of the situation by quickly sending her a link to a complaint form and persuading her to fill it out.

They asked for a small registration fee of Rs 1, which Dhwani paid, believing the process was legitimate.

However, she later discovered, as reported by Hindustan Times, that it was all part of an elaborate scam.

Dhwani's distress grew when she received a notification during her train journey, revealing that a significant amount of Rs 99,988 was deducted from her bank account.

Determined to resolve the situation, she took immediate action.

Dhwani reported the incident to the Cyber Crime Department online and visited her bank to file a written complaint, detailing the fraudulent activities.

Dhwani refused to succumb to the fraudsters' tactics. She approached the police and formally lodged a complaint against the impersonators, charging them with offenses such as impersonation, cheating, and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Meanwhile, a dedicated police officer assigned to the case began investigating, reaching out to relevant institutions like the bank and cellphone companies, as reported by the Hindustan Times, to trace the money and bring the culprits to justice.