A routine phone call to get a washing machine repaired allegedly turned into a massive cyber fraud, with nearly ₹11.20 lakh siphoned off from a woman’s two bank accounts in a single day. The victim has alleged that the withdrawals exceeded her transaction limit and were carried out without any transaction alerts, raising serious concerns about banking safeguards.
The complainant, Deepika Dubey, a resident of Bargadwa, lodged a case at the cyber police station after discovering that large sums had been fraudulently transferred from her accounts maintained with State Bank of India and Union Bank of India.
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According to the complaint, on February 3, 2026, Dubey contacted a mechanic through her mobile phone to repair her washing machine. During the conversation, the caller asked her to recharge her own mobile number with ₹10, which she did. Soon after, she began receiving calls from a few unknown numbers, which she chose not to answer.
Later that day, without her knowledge or consent, multiple online transactions were executed from her bank accounts. Police said the fraudsters withdrew ₹2,81,767 from her SBI account through seven transactions and ₹8,38,590 from her Union Bank account in 21 separate transactions. In total, ₹11,20,357 was siphoned off.
The victim has alleged that both her accounts had a maximum UPI transaction limit of ₹1 lakh per day, yet the withdrawals exceeded this limit by a wide margin. She further claimed that she did not receive any SMS alerts during the transactions, which prevented her from taking immediate action.
The fraud came to light on February 6, when Dubey visited her bank branch to check her balance and was informed of the transactions. She subsequently lodged a complaint on the national cyber crime portal and filed a written complaint with the cyber police station.
In her complaint, Dubey has also raised suspicions about possible lapses at the bank’s end and sought a thorough investigation into how such high-value transactions were processed despite the preset daily cap. She has demanded recovery of the siphoned amount and strict action against those responsible.
Police have registered a case against unidentified persons under relevant sections and initiated a probe. Investigators are examining transaction logs, IP details and beneficiary accounts to trace the flow of funds. Efforts are also underway to determine whether the initial ₹10 recharge played a role in compromising her banking credentials.
Cyber security experts say such cases often involve social engineering tactics, where fraudsters trick victims into performing small actions that enable remote access or credential compromise. Authorities have once again urged citizens to avoid sharing personal or banking information over phone calls and to remain cautious while dealing with unknown service providers.
The incident has renewed concerns over digital payment security, particularly in cases where safeguards such as transaction limits and SMS alerts fail to prevent high-value fraud. Police said further investigation is underway to identify and arrest the accused.
About the author – Ayesha Aayat is a law student and contributor covering cybercrime, online frauds, and digital safety concerns. Her writing aims to raise awareness about evolving cyber threats and legal responses.
