Bengaluru student loses ₹93,880 in iPhone discount scam on Instagram

Bengaluru

A student fell victim to a cyber fraud after attempting to buy an iPhone at a discounted price from a suspicious Instagram account, losing ₹93,880 in the process. The incident, which unfolded between July 6 and 7, has been reported to North East CEN police station and FIR is registered on July 7.

According to the student’s complaint, the Instagram ID 8001619070110817 was regularly posting advertisements claiming to sell iPhones at low prices. Enticed by the offer, the student messaged the account expressing interest. The scammer, operating through the same ID, then contacted the student via mobile number 72420643036, convincing them that various payments were required before delivery — including verification fees, GST, file charges, and other service charges.

Trusting the scammer’s assurance that all payments would be refunded post-delivery, the student transferred the requested amounts in stages via PhonePe. The scam continued when the fraudster, posing as a support agent, further tricked the student into “self-transferring” ₹43,000 to UPI ID 7975265658 60, claiming it was part of a refund process.

Also Read: (Bengaluru man loses ₹74.98 lakh to dubious Kotak investment scheme ; Fake investment app behind scam)

Instead of receiving the refund, the student got a debit notification. Upon questioning, the fraudster told the student the amount would reflect within 24 hours — but the money never came back.

In total, the student transferred ₹93,880 from their ICICI bank account (A/C No. xxxxxxxxx664) using QR codes and UPI IDs provided by the fraudster. Realising the scam too late, the student reported the incident to the police.

Police have taken up the case under provisions of Section 157 Cr.PC and Section 176 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). An investigation is underway to identify and apprehend the unknown individual behind the fake Instagram account and associated phone numbers.

Authorities have urged the public — especially students and young buyers — to avoid purchasing high-value gadgets like iPhones through social media ads without verifying the authenticity of the seller.

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