A family in Gwalior allegedly lost ₹98,000 through three unauthorised UPI transactions after a woman clicked an advertisement while using Instagram, causing her mobile phone to become unresponsive. Police have registered a case and handed the investigation to the cyber cell to determine how access to the family’s bank account was obtained.
The incident was reported from Rudra Pura under the Purani Chhawani police station area. According to a complaint filed by Jay Pratap Singh Batham, his wife Rachna was using Instagram on a mobile phone on August 11 when an advertisement appeared on the screen.
Phone Became Unresponsive After Advertisement Was Clicked
Rachna clicked on the advertisement, following which the mobile phone allegedly froze immediately. According to the complaint, none of the device’s functions worked and the family was unable even to switch it off.
The family subsequently took the phone to a shop near Purani Chhawani crossroads. The shopkeeper managed to shut down the device and restart it. At that point, the family was apparently unaware that their bank account may have been compromised.
The financial loss came to light around midnight, when Jay Pratap received a bank message concerning an instalment. He checked the account and found that its balance was showing minus ₹2,970. The family had nearly ₹1 lakh in the account before the incident.
₹98,000 Withdrawn Through Three UPI Transactions
After noticing the depleted balance, Jay Pratap asked his wife whether she had transferred money to anyone. She denied making any such transaction.
Suspecting cyber fraud, Jay Pratap immediately contacted the cybercrime helpline at 1930 and reported the incident. The family visited the bank the following day, where an examination of the account statement revealed that ₹98,000 had been withdrawn through three separate UPI transactions.
The withdrawals were allegedly unauthorised. The information in the screenshots does not specify how the transactions were authenticated or precisely what occurred on the phone after the Instagram advertisement was clicked.
Cyber Cell Investigates Access to Bank Account
The victim subsequently complained to the bank and approached Purani Chhawani police on August 16. Police registered a case and transferred the investigation to the cyber cell.
Investigators are now trying to establish what happened after the advertisement was clicked and how those responsible allegedly gained access to the bank account.
The probe is focused on the sequence between the phone becoming unresponsive and the three UPI withdrawals. Police are examining the circumstances surrounding the transactions as they work to determine how ₹98,000 was removed from the family’s account.
