Online Clothing Return Attempt Turns Into ₹5.78 Lakh Cyber Fraud

Taliparamb: What began as an attempt to return a ₹300 clothing item has reportedly turned into a major cyber-fraud case, with a 54-year-old man from the Taliparamb area allegedly losing ₹5.78 lakh from his bank account after contacting what he believed was the online shopping company’s customer care service.

The man had purchased a garment worth around ₹300 from a leading online shopping platform. After receiving the package, he reportedly found that the clothing appeared to be old and sought assistance to return the product and obtain a refund.

During the process, two individuals allegedly contacted him through a video call and claimed they could arrange the refund. They reportedly asked him to provide his ATM card PIN and later requested an OTP sent to his mobile phone.

After the details were shared, multiple transactions were allegedly carried out from his bank account between the 24th and 26th, resulting in a reported loss of ₹5.78 lakh.

Police suspect that the customer care number contacted by the victim may have been a fraudulent number operated by cybercriminals. Taliparamb Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

The incident has once again highlighted the risks of searching for customer-care numbers online and sharing sensitive banking information with unknown callers.

Cyber Safety Alert: Never share your ATM PIN, OTP, CVV, UPI PIN, passwords or banking credentials with anyone claiming to be from customer care. Always contact companies through their official websites or apps.