An Ahmedabad shopkeeper has allegedly lost Rs 85,000 after his mobile phone malfunctioned following a software update alert, with the amount transferred through PhonePe from his Bank of Baroda account without his authorisation, according to a complaint filed with Airport police.
The complainant, a 71-year-old resident of Sardarnagar, runs a clothing-printing shop in Kubernagar. He told police that he received a “software update” notification on October 5. After the update, his phone reportedly became unresponsive and could not be switched off. The device remained non-functional for some time before restarting.
The alleged fraud came to light two days later when a business payment of Rs 5,000 from the shopkeeper’s Bank of Baroda account failed because of insufficient funds. He then checked his account statement and found that Rs 85,000 had been debited on October 5.
According to the complaint, the amount was transferred through PhonePe to an unidentified recipient. The shopkeeper told police that he had neither initiated nor authorised the transaction. He suspected that someone gained access to his phone and transferred the money while the device was malfunctioning.
The case highlights the exposure created when mobile phones serve simultaneously as communication devices, banking interfaces and payment authentication tools. In this instance, the alleged transaction was discovered only when a separate business payment failed, rather than through an immediate account check.
The complainant contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930 on October 7 and later approached Airport police. He has sought action against the unidentified person responsible for the transfer. The police complaint is based on the shopkeeper’s account of the incident, and the identity of the recipient and the circumstances of the alleged unauthorised transaction remain under investigation.
The incident also shows how a disruption to a device can affect the functioning of a small business. The complainant’s failed Rs 5,000 payment prompted the account review that revealed the larger debit. Until then, the phone problem and the financial transaction had not been linked by him.
The complaint follows the use of a software-update alert as the reported trigger for the device malfunction. Further details about how access to the phone or payment account was obtained were not available in the supplied report. Police action and investigation into the unidentified recipient are now pending.
