This is an archive article published on July 11, 2023
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Mumbai doctor places order for 25 samosas, ends up losing Rs 1.4 lakh
It was only after the doctor lost the money did he realise that he had been talking to cyber criminals and not the hotel employees, said the police.
“The doctor thought of taking some samosas along, following which he googled the name of Gurukripa restaurant," an officer said. (Representational Photo)
A doctor in Mumbai allegedly ended up losing Rs 1.40 lakh while ordering 25 samosas from a restaurant whose number he found online. It was only after the doctor lost the money did he realise that he had been talking to cyber criminals and not the hotel employees, said the police, adding that so far no arrests have been made in the case.
The accused had changed the contact number of the popular Sion eatery, ‘Gurukripa’, on Google and those looking for its number online ended up calling the fraudsters, said an officer from the Bhoiwada police station.
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According to the investigators, the Dadar-based doctor along with his colleagues was planning a trip earlier this week.
“The doctor thought of taking some samosas along, following which he googled the name of Gurukripa restaurant. On Saturday, he called up the number mentioned on the Google listing online. A person who answered the call claimed to be from the restaurant and took his order asking him to pay Rs 1,500 through a link he was to receive on his Whatsapp,” the officer said.
After the doctor made the payment, the accused claimed to have not received the amount and asked him to type 28807 on Google Pay to process the payment and withdrew the money from the account, he said.
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The same process was repeated and eventually, Rs 1.40 lakh was withdrawn in total. It was around this time that the doctor realised he had been defrauded. He then approached the Bhoiwada police station where the police have registered a case against unidentified people.
An officer said that this was a common modus operandi of cyber criminals wherein they changed the mobile number of popular establishments online and duped customers looking for it.
The police said that people should cross-verify the numbers they find online from other listings before making such calls.
“The doctor thought of taking some samosas along, following which he googled the name of Gurukripa restaurant," an officer said. (Representational Photo) 
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