A 25-year-old technology consultant fell victim to cyber fraud, losing Rs 7 lakh shortly after his father provided credit card information online to rent a car. The incident prompted the filing of a first information report (FIR) at the Kothrud police station on Thursday.

According to police reports, the victim resides in Kothrud. On November 26, his father searched online and discovered a WhatsApp contact for a company that purported to offer car rental services. However, this number was reportedly associated with cyber criminals.

When the father reached out to the number, he was directed by an individual posing as a company representative to make an online payment for the rental booking. The father then shared his son’s credit card details with the fraudster, who also instructed him to grant access to his mobile phone by clicking on a link.

Shortly thereafter, the fraudsters successfully infiltrated the father’s mobile device. The police reported that the criminals executed three online transactions that resulted in a total withdrawal of Rs 7.07 lakh from the complainant’s credit card account to various fraudulent bank accounts on the same day.

Initially, the victims reported the incident to the Cyber police station. Following an investigation, an FIR was officially filed at Kothrud police station on Friday. The unidentified cyber criminals have been charged under sections 319(2), 318 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

A team led by Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Deshmane is currently handling the investigation, which includes examining the mobile device and the WhatsApp numbers and bank accounts linked to the cyber fraud.