A 71-year-old doctor from Bengaluru’s Indiranagar neighborhood has lost ₹5 lakh in a chillingly efficient online scam, all while trying to return a shirt he bought over the internet. The incident, which unfolded on Wednesday afternoon, highlights how quickly digital predators can strike—even against those who should know better.

Key facts

  • Victim: 71-year-old doctor from Indiranagar, Bengaluru
  • Amount lost: ₹5 lakh in seven rapid transactions
  • Date: September 5, 2026, around 4:30 PM
  • Police case filed with East CEN Crime Police

How the scam unfolded

It started simply enough. The doctor, hoping to process a return for a shirt he’d ordered online, turned to Google to find a customer care number. What he found instead was a trap. He dialed a mobile number, and after two disconnected calls, a man who identified himself as Mahindra Pandit answered. Pandit smoothly asked for the doctor’s debit card details—a red flag anyone might miss in a moment of frustration.

The digital hijacking

Things escalated quickly. The suspect moved the conversation to WhatsApp, instructing the doctor to follow a series of steps. Unaware of the danger, the elderly man complied. Within moments, the fraudster had remote control of his mobile phone. And then, the nightmare: seven transactions, totaling ₹5 lakh, zipped out of his account in just five minutes.

OTP alerts buzzed on the phone—now in the criminal’s hands—rendering the doctor powerless to stop the bleeding.

Aftermath and investigation

The East CEN Crime Police have registered a case and are working to track both the accused and the stolen money. For the victim, it’s a brutal lesson in digital vulnerability—one that cost him not just money, but peace of mind.