GORAKHPUR: A physician in Gorakhpur lost nearly ₹2.48 lakh after an unknown caller posing as a patient persuaded him to share a QR code—triggering a series of rapid transfers from his bank account. Police have opened an investigation as digital fraud networks continue to evolve in sophistication
Physician Duped as Caller Poses as Patient
On a September evening in Gorakhpur, Dr. Jitendra Kumar Srivastava received what seemed like a routine call. The man on the line introduced himself as a patient seeking online medical help and described his condition with urgency. For a doctor accustomed to remote consultations, the request did not appear unusual.
What unfolded next, however, was a carefully orchestrated cyber-fraud that would drain three separate sums—₹49,511, ₹99,588, and another ₹99,588—from the physician’s Punjab National Bank account within minutes.
A QR Code, a Shared Screen, and a Rapid Transfer of Funds
According to the police complaint, the caller soon asked Dr. Srivastava to “scan a QR code” under the pretext of sending payment for the consultation. The doctor complied, sharing the code with the caller. Almost instantly, the three unauthorized transactions followed—each routed through digital channels designed to avoid immediate detection.
The callers identified themselves as Pramil Kumar and Aske Rawat, names police suspect are either fabricated or belong to intermediaries used by the fraud network. Realizing something was wrong, Dr. Srivastava immediately contacted his bank to freeze the compromised account. But the transfers had already been executed.
A Case Filed and an Investigation Begins
The physician then approached the cyber police and also reported the incident to the national 1930 helpline—India’s centralized mechanism to halt ongoing online financial frauds. The complaint prompted authorities to seal the affected account and open a formal investigation.
Police at Shahpur station, which has jurisdiction over the Basharatpur area where the doctor resides, registered a case on the basis of the written complaint. Officers familiar with the matter say the fraud bears hallmarks of a coordinated call-center-style operation, in which callers impersonate patients or customers to extract small but repeated payments. Investigators are now tracing the digital trail of the three withdrawals, including the beneficiary accounts and the devices used to trigger them.
Growing Digital Risks for Professionals Offering Remote Services
The incident underscores a rising vulnerability among professionals who routinely conduct remote consultations—doctors, lawyers, tutors, and service providers who often rely on digital payments.
Dr. Srivastava has urged authorities to identify the perpetrators swiftly so that his lost earnings might be recovered. Police say the investigation is underway, with digital forensics teams examining transaction logs and call records.
