How trying to buy milk online ended in a ₹18.5 lakh fraud in Mumbai

A 71-year-old woman from Mumbai was allegedly cheated of ₹18.5 lakh from her bank accounts after trying to place an online order for one litre of milk, police said on Saturday.

The senior citizen, a resident of Wadala, reportedly lost her entire savings within two days earlier this month after attempting to purchase milk via an online delivery app, an official stated.

On August 4, she received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as Deepak, claiming to be an executive of the milk company. He sent her a link on her mobile and asked her to enter her details to complete the order, the official added.


The caller instructed her to click on the link without disconnecting the call and continue following his directions. As the conversation stretched for more than an hour, the woman grew tired and eventually hung up.

The next day, the same person contacted her again and extracted additional details, the official said.

A few days later, during a routine bank visit, the woman realized ₹1.7 lakh had been withdrawn from one of her accounts. On further checking, she discovered that her other two accounts had also been wiped clean.

In total, she lost ₹18.5 lakh across all three accounts. Investigators believe the fraudster gained access to her phone once she clicked on the malicious link.

Based on her complaint, a case has been registered, and further investigation is underway, the official confirmed.

[With PTI inputs]