A homemaker in Indore has recovered Rs 75,000 of the Rs 78,000 allegedly siphoned from four of her bank accounts after a caller posing as a parcel delivery agent sent her a fraudulent link, according to a Times of India report. The recovery was secured by the Indore Crime Branch after the woman filed a cybercrime complaint.
The woman had reportedly made an online purchase for Diwali and was waiting for the parcel when she received a call from an unknown man. The caller claimed to be a delivery agent and told her that the address provided for the shipment was incorrect. He then sent her a link to update the delivery details.
After she clicked on the link, Rs 78,000 was transferred from four of her bank accounts. The woman realised that she had been deceived and promptly submitted a complaint through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, enabling the cyber fraud investigation team to begin tracing the transactions.
According to the report, the money was frozen in suspected accounts located in Delhi, Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The complainant subsequently received Rs 75,000 through a court order. The recovery followed directions from Indore police commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh for quick action in online and financial fraud cases within the commissionerate.
The case highlights how delivery-related messages can be used to exploit the information consumers share while shopping online, particularly during festival periods when parcel volumes and customer communication increase. A fake address-correction request can make a fraudulent link appear connected to an expected delivery, even when it is not sent by the e-commerce company or logistics provider.
The Indore police advisory urges residents to be cautious of unknown calls and messages concerning parcel deliveries during Diwali and other festivals. Residents have been advised not to click on links sent to update delivery addresses, reschedule shipments or pay additional charges, and not to share banking details, one-time passwords, Unified Payments Interface PINs or other personal information with strangers.
Police have also advised consumers to check parcel status only through the official website or application of the relevant e-commerce company. The advisory warns against downloading unknown applications and using suspicious QR codes or payment links. The Crime Branch’s cyber fraud investigation team has been instructed to respond quickly to complaints received through the national reporting portal.
