Balkampet senior citizen loses Rs. 4.2 lakh in PhonePe customer support scam

Hyderabad: A 60-year-old resident of Balkampet, SR Nagar, Hyderabad lost ₹4.2 lakh in an online payment fraud after being misled by a caller posing as a PhonePe customer support executive.

The incident occurred on July 3, 2025, when the victim searched for PhonePe customer care on Google. Soon after, he received a phone call from an individual claiming to represent PhonePe support. The caller instructed the victim to open the PhonePe app and requested sensitive banking information, citing the need for verification and technical assistance.

Trusting the caller, the victim shared his account details. Moments later, multiple unauthorized transactions were made from his various bank accounts, resulting in a total loss of ₹4.2 lakh. The victim immediately reported the fraud to the Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) and filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station.

 Public Advisory:

• Do not share personal or banking information such as OTPs, PINs, or account numbers over the phone.
• Use only official websites or mobile apps to find customer care contact numbers.
• PhonePe and similar platforms never request confidential information over calls.
• Educate family members, especially senior citizens, about such scams.
• Preserve all call records, messages, and transaction details for investigation.

Victims of cybercrime can report incidents by calling 1930 or visiting cybercrime.gov.in. In urgent cases, contact or WhatsApp 8712665171.