A youth from Tangaramunda village under Bamra block in Sambalpur district lost over Rs 36,000 in a cyber fraud involving OTP sharing.
The victim, Akshay Seth, received a call from an unknown number claiming to be a gas agency employee. The caller asked him to share an OTP sent to his mobile for gas booking. Believing the claim, Akshay shared the OTP, which allowed fraudsters to withdraw Rs 32,500 from his bank account in multiple transactions.
The following day, the same number called again. Akshay’s wife, unaware of the previous fraud, shared another OTP, leading to an additional loss of ₹4,000. The victim realised the scam only after receiving transaction alerts and immediately lodged a written complaint at the Gobindpur police station.
Police have begun investigating the case, tracing the mobile number and bank transaction details to identify the culprits. Officers confirmed that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting rural residents with new tactics.
Gobindpur police issued a cyber‑awareness advisory urging people never to share OTPs, ATM PINs, CVV numbers, or banking details over phone calls. Station Officer Padmalaya Sahu emphasised that no bank, gas agency, Aadhaar, PAN, or government institution ever asks for such information. He advised victims to promptly report fraud to the 1930 Cyber Helpline or the nearest police station to maximise chances of recovering stolen money.
