What started as a simple order for a litre of milk turned into a nightmare for a 71-year-old woman from Mumbai, who lost her entire savings to an online scam.
The woman, who lives in Wadala, received a call earlier this month from a man who introduced himself as “Deepak,” claiming to be an executive from a milk company, according to a report published by TOI. Polite and convincing, he told her that he could help place the order online. He then sent her a link and asked her to fill in her personal and banking details while staying on the call with him.
For over an hour, the woman followed his instructions. She thought she was ordering milk. Instead, she was handing over access to her phone and her financial details.
The next day, the same caller contacted her again, this time extracting even more information. Believing she was just completing her order, she complied once again.
Days later, during a routine bank visit, she discovered Rs 1.7 lakh missing from one of her accounts. Shock turned to despair when she checked her other two accounts and found them completely drained. In total, she had lost Rs 18.5 lakh, her entire savings.
Police said the scammer had gained remote access to her phone when she clicked on the link, giving him control over her financial apps and transactions. A case has now been registered, and investigators are tracing the fraudster.
The story has rattled many because of how ordinary the setup was. Ordering milk online is as common as ordering bread or vegetables these days, yet it became the trap for a devastating scam.
Elderly people, who are often less familiar with the tricks used by cybercriminals, remain especially vulnerable. The police have once again urged citizens never to click on suspicious links or share banking details over calls.
For the Wadala woman, the loss is more than just money. It is the shattering of trust in something as routine as ordering groceries. What should have been a small errand ended up wiping out a lifetime’s worth of savings.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
