Actor loses Rs 77,000 while booking doctor’s appointment online: Cops

PTI, Jun 12, 2024, 9:43 AM IST

Mumbai: A small-time actor has become the latest victim of cyber fraud as he lost Rs 77,000 to a fraudster while trying to book an appointment with a doctor on phone in Dadar, police said on Tuesday.

Interestingly, the amount was deducted from the victim’s bank account four days after he tapped on the fraudulent links and subsequently alerted the bank manager.

The victim Mohammad Iqbal alias Iqbal Azad, 59, stated in the FIR that he was searching for phone numbers for orthopaedic doctors based out in Dadar.

“Azad found a phone number on Google and made a call on June 6. The person who answered the call asked Azad to register by paying ₹ 10 before speaking to the doctor. The caller sent him a link two times but Azad failed to send the amount as the link was unresponsive,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Azad sensed something was amiss and immediately alerted his bank manager.

“However, on Monday morning he received four SMSes on his mobile phone mentioning that ₹ 77,000 was deducted from his bank account,” the official added.

Azad claimed he immediately contacted the cyber helpline number 1930 after receiving the messages but failed to get through.

Police registered an FIR against an unidentified person under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 420 (cheating) and the Information Technology Act.