Hyderabad homeopathic doctor duped by fake army officials, loses Rs. 1.8 lakh
Hyderabad: An 80-year-old homeopathy doctor from Hyderabad fell victim to a cyber fraud and lost ₹1,82,973 after receiving WhatsApp calls from fraudsters posing as Army personnel.
According to the Hyderabad Cybercrime Police, the incident occurred on May 4 when the doctor received a call from an unknown number (+91 81785 15464). The caller claimed to be calling from an Army camp and said that 35 to 40 jawans required homeopathic treatment. He proposed that five jawans would be sent daily to the doctor’s clinic.
When the doctor offered to treat them free of charge as a goodwill gesture, the caller insisted that the Army had allocated medical funds and said ₹75,000 would be paid in advance. He added that a senior official, referred to as the Army Chief, would call shortly to arrange the payment.
Soon after, the doctor received another WhatsApp call from a different number (+91 90006 66740). The caller, identifying himself as the Army Chief, asked the doctor to open his PhonePe app and follow instructions to receive the advance.
As the doctor was not familiar with digital transactions, he handed over his phone to a patient present in his clinic and asked her to follow the caller’s directions. Instead of receiving a payment, a total of ₹1,82,973 was debited from his Union Bank account in two separate transactions.
Realizing he had been duped, the doctor disconnected the call and filed an online complaint.
Public Advisory:
Police have urged the public to stay alert against scams involving callers impersonating Army officials. The fraudsters typically contact elderly professionals, especially doctors, under the pretext of arranging treatment for Army personnel, then manipulate them into making UPI transactions.
Authorities advise the public not to share phones or open banking apps based on instructions from unknown callers. Government and Army officials do not initiate payments through casual phone calls or messaging apps.
In case of suspicious calls, verify the caller’s identity through official channels or contact the police. Victims should report such incidents immediately at their local police station, via the national cybercrime portal https://cybercrime.gov.in, or by dialing 1930. For help, citizens may also contact or WhatsApp at 8712665171.
