Bengaluru: A routine home-cleaning booking turned into a costly cyber fraud for a city-based doctor, who lost Rs 1.7 lakh after contacting a fake customer care executive.According to the complaint filed by Dr Imtiaz Zafar, a resident of Lakkasandra in Wilson Garden, he had booked a cleaning service through the Urban Company app. The assigned worker was scheduled to arrive at 9.15am on June 7. However, when the assigned person failed to turn up even by 11am, the doctor searched for the company’s customer care number on the internet and contacted a mobile number displayed online.The call recipient, who identified himself as Rakesh Sharma, claimed to be a customer care executive. When Dr Zafar requested cancellation of the booking, the fraudster allegedly manipulated the process, asked him to follow a few instructions, and gained access to his banking-linked digital payment application.Unauthorised transactions were carried out from Dr Zafar’s bank account, resulting in a total loss of Rs 1.7 lakh between June 8 and June 10. The doctor learned about the fraud on June 12, following which he contacted the cyber helpline and filed a complaint. He later approached the Adugodi police. A case was registered under the Information Technology Act.
