Online fraudsters active during lockdown; woman loses Rs 10 lakh

KOCHI: With more and more people now having to rely on online purchases during the Covid-19 lockdown, fraudsters are lurking the internet looking for soft targets, mainly new netizen converts. In a major fraud reported within the city limits during the lockdown, a Kakkanad native lost around Rs 10.05 lakh while purchasing grocery through an online delivery website. The Infopark police on Friday registered a case in this regard and a probe is on.

Officers said the woman had searched the net for grocery shops in Kochi which take orders online and home delivers. She received the mobile number of a fake online delivery store. “When contacted, a person picked up the phone and asked her to pay Rs 11 as registration fee by clicking a website link. She clicked the link and entered her account details and card number. Next, she shared the transaction details with the fraudster. By the time the transaction was completed, she had lost around Rs 10.05 lakh from her account, “ a police official said.