An Army officer posted at the Army Centre of Education in Pachmarhi and a college student in Makhan Nagar have both reported cyber fraud incidents in Narmadapuram district, with money withdrawn from their bank accounts after deceptive messages and, in one case, a compromised phone.
Fake Electricity Bill Message Leads to Fraud
The first case began on July 30, when the Army officer received a mobile message claiming an electricity bill was pending, even though no such bill was actually due. When he called the number given in the message, he was told a link would be sent to him so he could "update" the payment status.
According to his complaint, the caller instructed him to click the link and confirm the bill had been paid. Almost immediately after opening it, he received an alert showing money had been withdrawn from his bank account. He reported the incident to his bank right away and filed a police complaint. Following an inquiry by the cyber cell, a case has been registered at Pachmarhi police station against an unidentified accused.
Student Finds ₹46,000 Missing After Phone Is Hacked
In a separate case at Makhan Nagar police station, a college student reported that his phone was suddenly hacked on the evening of August 2. After the device restarted, he found that all his apps had disappeared. He reinstalled PhonePe and checked his bank balance, only to discover ₹46,000 had already been withdrawn.
It's not yet clear from the complaint exactly how the phone was compromised or the precise method used to move the money out of his account.
A Pattern That's Only Growing
These two cases add to a wider, worrying trend in the district affecting a broad mix of people, students, elderly citizens, government officials, and farmers, all being targeted through similar deceptive tactics. Between July 1 and July 7 alone, more than 12 cyber fraud cases were registered across police stations in Narmadapuram district, with over ₹5 lakh allegedly withdrawn from victims' accounts during that single week.
Police have been running awareness campaigns through street plays, slogans, and community outreach to warn residents about these scams, but as these two latest cases show, fraudsters continue finding new ways in, whether through fake bill links or direct device compromise. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
FAQs
Q1. How did the Army officer lose money in this fraud case?
He received a fake electricity bill message, called the number provided, and was instructed to click a link to "confirm" payment. Money was withdrawn from his account shortly after.
Q2. How much money did the college student lose?
₹46,000 was withdrawn from his account after his phone was hacked and all applications were wiped from the device.
Q3. How many cyber fraud cases were reported in the district recently?
More than 12 cases were registered between July 1 and July 7, with over ₹5 lakh withdrawn from victims during that period alone.