A 45-year-old Mangaluru resident has come forward with a complaint after losing ₹2 lakh in an elaborate online insurance fraud. The victim reported the incident to the CEN police station on November 5, detailing a series of deceptive communications that began after an attempt to modify an existing insurance policy.
The ordeal commenced in the last week of August when the individual submitted an application and supporting documents to the HDFC Thiruvananthapuram branch. The request aimed to transfer an insurance policy from their father's name into their own. Shortly thereafter, the fraudsters initiated their scheme.
On September 5, a person identifying himself as Ravikumar contacted the victim, claiming to be conducting HDFC Life Insurance verification. He successfully obtained an One-Time Password (OTP) from the victim's mobile phone. Two days later, on September 7, another individual, introducing himself as Senior Manager Naveen, requested personal documents and informed the victim that an initial payment of ₹2 lakh was necessary to secure the new insurance policy.
Naveen then provided a link for the payment, assuring the victim that the amount would be reimbursed later as part of the premium. Believing the elaborate ruse, the individual transferred ₹2 lakh through the provided link. The fraudster also stated that the name change process would take approximately 45 days to complete.
However, when the promised 45-day period elapsed without any policy changes, and the scammers continued to demand further investments, the victim grew suspicious. This led to an initial complaint being lodged on the cybercrime portal on November 1, culminating in the formal police complaint filed in Mangaluru.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK