A doctor in Karnataka’s Mangaluru fell victim to an online fraud and lost ₹22 lakh after being lured with the promise of a massive foreign payout. Further losses were averted due to the timely intervention of an alert official at Canara Bank, who flagged the suspicious transactions and alerted the police. The case is now under investigation by the Cyber Economic and Narcotic (CEN) police.
Promise of USD 2.5 Million From Abroad
According to police officials, the doctor received an international phone call in which the caller praised his “good work” and claimed that he was being rewarded with USD 2.5 million. Soon after, another caller contacted him, impersonating a customs officer, and stated that a parcel carrying the promised amount had arrived in his name.
The caller told the doctor that the parcel could only be released after payment of customs duty and processing charges, creating a sense of urgency and legitimacy.
Multiple Transfers Over Three Days
Believing the claims, the doctor visited a nearby Canara Bank branch over three consecutive days and transferred money to multiple bank accounts as instructed by the fraudsters. Each payment was projected as a mandatory charge linked to customs clearance.
Police said the amounts were deliberately split and routed to different accounts to avoid raising immediate red flags and to make tracking the funds more difficult.
Bank Official Raises Alarm
The repeated visits and unusual pattern of transactions caught the attention of a bank official, who found the transfers suspicious. Acting promptly, the official contacted the CEN police and sought verification before allowing any further transactions.
On Saturday, after checking the details, the police confirmed that the doctor had been targeted in a cyber fraud. By that time, he had already lost ₹22 lakh. Following the intervention, the doctor immediately stopped further payments and filed a formal complaint.
Police Commissioner Credits Bank–Police Coordination
Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said the case highlighted the importance of coordination between banks and law enforcement. He noted that the police had recently held meetings with banking officials, urging them to monitor unusual transactions and flag potential cyber fraud cases at an early stage.
“This is a clear example of how vigilance by bank staff can prevent citizens from suffering devastating financial losses,” he said.
Common Modus Operandi Identified
Police said the scam follows a familiar pattern seen in multiple cyber fraud cases:
- False promises of large sums from abroad
- Impersonation of customs or government officials
- Demands for payments under the guise of duties, taxes or processing fees
- Routing money through multiple accounts to obscure the trail
Authorities stressed that no legitimate government agency demands payments over phone calls for releasing parcels or rewards.
Advisory for Citizens
Police have advised citizens to treat unsolicited international calls, promises of large financial rewards, and demands for money in the name of customs or taxes with extreme caution. Any such communication should be immediately verified with banks or reported to cyber police.
Conclusion
The Mangaluru incident underscores how quickly cyber fraudsters can exploit trust and urgency—but also how timely vigilance by banks and swift police action can prevent far greater losses. Officials reiterated that public awareness and institutional alertness remain the strongest defences against evolving online frauds.
