Udupi: Four online fraud cases reported, victims lose Rs 18.69 lakh

Udupi: Four online fraud cases reported, victims lose Rs 18.69 lakh

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, October 10, 2026: Four cases of online fraud have been reported at Udupi Town and Kundapur police stations, with victims collectively losing Rs 18.69 lakh.

In the first case, Ramesh Shetty, 75, allegedly lost Rs 14,35,724 after falling victim to a fraudulent trading scheme promoted through a link on Facebook.

On July 29, Shetty invested money through the link and initially received returns, prompting him to invest a total of Rs 14,35,724 in instalments. On September 1, he received a message stating that shares worth Rs 9,24,800 had been allotted to him.

Shetty reportedly told the accused that he had not applied for the initial public offering (IPO) and did not have the money to pay for the shares. However, he was allegedly pressured into paying the amount and borrowed money to make the payment.

When he later tried to withdraw his funds, the accused allegedly refused to allow the withdrawal and demanded an additional Rs 5,10,724, equivalent to 10% of the purported profits. He was threatened that he would not be allowed to withdraw his money unless he paid the amount. Shetty subsequently made the payment, after which the accused stopped responding to his messages, WhatsApp communications and phone calls. A case has been registered at Udupi Town Police Station.

In the second case, Madhava Rao R.V., 61, of Badagubettu, reported that cyber fraudsters withdrew Rs 55,000 from his bank account without his knowledge on October 6, followed by another unauthorised debit of Rs 1 lakh on October 7. A case has been registered at Udupi Town Police Station.

In another case, Nithin Jose reported that cyber fraudsters transferred Rs 1,13,940 from his credit card to an account identified as Amazon Web Services on the night of October 7 without his knowledge. Udupi Town Police have registered a case.

In the fourth case, Sarika P.V., 33, reported that cyber fraudsters made multiple unauthorised deductions totalling Rs 1,64,666 from her credit card on October 7. A case has been registered at Kundapur Police Station.