Kerala woman goes missing after falling victim to ₹11 lakh cyber scam; probe on

Kadampazhipuram, Palakkad: A probe was launched after a 62-year-old woman went missing from her home, just days after falling prey to a cyber fraud involving more than ₹11 lakh, officials said on Friday.

The woman, identified as Prema, wife of Balasubramanium of Alangad in Kadampazhipuram, was last seen on the morning of September 14. According to police, she boarded a KSRTC bus from a nearby stop around 5 a.m. and has not returned since. 

Later, a missing person report was filed at the Sreekrishnapuram police station after attempts to contact her by phone proved unsuccessful.

During the investigation, authorities found that Prema had become a victim of an online scam. An unidentified person contacted her through Facebook, claiming she had won a ₹15 crore lottery. To claim the prize, she was asked to pay ₹11 lakh as service charges.

Prema pledged her gold jewellery and borrowed funds to transfer the money into three separate bank accounts on September 2. When she received no response by September 10, she sent messages demanding a refund. She was then allegedly asked to pay an additional ₹5 lakh to release the prize.

Upon realising she had been deceived, Prema informed her family and reportedly became severely distressed, police said. CCTV footage has confirmed that she reached Guruvayur.

A comprehensive investigation is currently underway to locate her, officials added.

PTI