Home loan fraud: Bengaluru woman changes sim card & phone, yet loses Rs 45 lakh

Bengaluru: A 28-year-old woman’s dream of securing a home loan turned into a financial nightmare after cyber fraudsters trapped her in a sophisticated scam, extorting money and siphoning off nearly Rs 48.5 lakh over several months.According to the complaint, the victim, Shreya (name changed), a resident of Halasur working for a private firm, had applied for a home loan in Oct 2025 through a website. The fraudsters sent her a link where she entered personal details, including her PAN, Aadhaar, office information, and a selfie. However, she did not proceed with the loan application due to some reasons.Months later, from March 26, 2026, the complainant began receiving threatening WhatsApp calls and messages from multiple international numbers. The fraudsters falsely claimed that loans had been taken in her name through various apps, including Fibe, Tejas, and Rupee Redee, and demanded repayment through the Repay App.To intensify the pressure, the fraudsters threatened her with legal consequences. They also sent her obscene morphed photographs of herself and threatened to circulate them on social media if she failed to comply. Fearing reputational damage, victim transferred nearly Rs 3.5 lakh to fraudsters in multiple transactions.Suspecting foul play, she switched off the device, deleted suspicious APK files, formatted phone, and changed both her mobile handset and sim card in May.However, the ordeal did not end there. In July 2026, while reviewing her bank statement, she found unauthorised transactions amounting to nearly Rs 45 lakh. She claimed the transactions were carried out without her knowledge and that she had received no OTPs or SMS alerts. Shocked by transactions, she immediately approached her bank. The staff directed her to complain to the cyber helpline 1930 and police. However, they did not give a proper explanation of how transactions were made without her consent. They provided her with details of accounts to which the money was siphoned off.A case was registered under the Information Technology Act and BNS section 318 (cheating).You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in BengaluruStay updated with the latest Bengaluru news. Download the TOI App.