Karkala: Man duped of Rs 76,000 in OTP fraud under pretext of solving bank issues

Karkala: A man from Karkala was cheated of Rs 76,000 after a fraudster posing as a bank official contacted him under the pretext of resolving his credit card issues.

The incident took place on September 30, when the victim, identified as Balachandra from Kasaba village, received a call from an individual claiming to be “Manoj Sharma,” who pretended to assist with a problem related to HDFC Bank.

Balachandra, who held credit cards from both Axis Bank and HDFC Bank, was asked to share his banking details to resolve the issue. Trusting the caller, he provided the necessary details, after which Manoj Sharma obtained the OTP (One-Time Password) required to authorize transactions.

On October 1, between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM, transactions amounting to Rs 76,188 were made using Balachandra’s credit cards from both banks. Realizing he had been defrauded, Balachandra immediately filed a complaint at the Karkala Town Police Station.

Police are investigating the matter.