Bengaluru Woman Loses Rs 48k While Buying Eggs Online: What Happened

A woman in Bengaluru fell victim to a cyber scam in February, losing a staggering amount of Rs 48,000 while attempting to purchase eggs online. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing prevalence of online scams and the importance of exercising caution when shopping online.

Reportedly, the woman received an email advertising an unbelievably low price for eggs - 4 dozen for just Rs 49. Lured by the seemingly irresistible deal, she clicked on the link in the email and proceeded to "purchase" the eggs. However, instead of completing a successful transaction, Shivani found herself the victim of a cleverly designed scam.

Bengaluru Woman Lost Rs 48000 Trying To Buy 4 Dozen Eggs For Rs 49:

The 38-year-old resident of Vasanthanagar in Bengaluru found an advertising email on February 17 that claimed a popular brand was selling eggs at a very low cost. Lured by the offer, the woman clicked on the shopping link given below and lost Rs 48,199 while she was just trying to order four dozen eggs for Rs 49. 

The woman in her police complaint shared that the email advertisement had a link that redirected her to a page that described how hens are reared and eggs are collected and distributed. Scrolling through the page, the woman found various offers like eight dozen eggs for rs 99 without any delivery charges. 

The woman then shared that she chose the option of four dozen eggs for Rs 49 and when she proceeded to place the order, she was taken to "contact information." When the woman entered her details the next page had payment options only through credit cards. 

As the woman entered her credit card credentials including CVV and expiry date of her card and clicked on 'proceed to pay', she then received an OTP on her mobile phone but before she could enter it a total amount of Rs 48,199 was debited from her account. 

The woman who just intended to pay Rs 49 for the eggs ended up losing 10 times the amount of her order as she was notified Rs 48,199 was transferred from her account to an account named 'Shine Mobile HU.'

The woman soon received a call from her bank to confirm if the recent payment was made by her and as she explained about the scam that just took place, the bank blocked her card immediately. According to the police, the woman's card had a limit of  Rs 3.7 lakhs, and if not her bank had crossed-verified and blocked the card immediately, the woman could have been siphoned off more money by the fraudsters. 

The woman after blocking her card reported the incident to the cyber crime helpline who guided her to complain to the nearest police station and a case under the IT Act has been registered while further investigation is underway.

The incident highlights the sophistication of online scams and the tactics employed by cybercriminals to exploit unsuspecting victims. The case serves as a cautionary tale, urging individuals to be wary of unsolicited online offers, particularly those promising unrealistically low prices.