Tripura woman loses ₹22,000 to Google Play lottery scam

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A housewife from Tripura’s Sepahijala district lost ₹22,000 after falling victim to a fake lottery scam. The fraud occurred within days of her receiving a loan, and the incident has raised fresh concerns over online scams.

As reported by Northeast Today, the victim, Mahamaya Acharya, is a resident of Dakshin Charilam Krishna Sangha area. She had taken a loan to cover expenses for her son’s event. Within two days of the loan being credited, she was contacted by scammers.

On Wednesday night, Mahamaya received a phone call from an unknown number. The caller claimed she had won a ₹5,000 prize through a Google Play lottery. The caller convinced her that the prize could be claimed through a simple verification step.

Trusting the caller, Mahamaya shared the One Time Password (OTP) that was sent to her mobile number. Soon after, the fraudsters accessed her Ujjivan Bank account. By Thursday evening, a total of ₹22,000 had been withdrawn without her knowledge.

“My wife received a call claiming she had won ₹5,000. We didn’t imagine it was a fraud. By the time we realized, the money was gone,” said Raju Acharya, Mahamaya’s husband.

The couple filed a complaint at Bishramganj Police Station late Thursday night. Police have started an investigation into the matter and are tracking the source of the fraudulent call.

A police official said, “A moment of greed can lead to lifelong regret. The government is continuously raising awareness about cyber fraud, but people still need to be extremely careful before sharing personal information.”

Authorities have advised people not to share OTPs or personal banking information over the phone. They reminded the public that legitimate prize schemes never ask for OTPs or money transfers.

The incident underscores the importance of staying alert in digital interactions and verifying the authenticity of any prize-related calls.

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