Woman Loses Rs 8.18 Lakh in Online Medical Appointment Fraud

The scammer instructed the complainant to share her WhatsApp number and download an application.

PTI, August 5, 2026, Thane : A 51-year-old woman from Kalyan in Thane district allegedly lost Rs 8.18 lakh in a cyber fraud after attempting to book a medical appointment online, prompting police to register a case against unidentified fraudsters and launch an investigation, an official said on Wednesday.

The victim googled a doctor’s name to locate the hospital and find out the contact details. She dialled a mobile number listed online to book an appointment.

The impersonator on the line, speaking in Hindi, identified himself as the doctor. The scammer instructed the complainant to share her WhatsApp number and download an application. He sent an APK file and asked her to pay a nominal fee of Rs 5 via UPI; the complainant obliged.

On July 30, when she visited the hospital for her appointment, staff members checked their system and informed her that no booking existed in her name. The staff clarified that the hospital does not offer an online booking system and confirmed that the contact numbers provided by the victim were fraudulent and did not belong to the facility.

On the morning of August 2, the complainant discovered that a total of Rs 8,18,405 had been fraudulently debited from her account across multiple unauthorised transactions, triggered by the malicious APK file installed on her device.

After filing an initial online complaint with the cyber cell, she approached the Khadakpada police station on August 3, where her formal statement was recorded.

An offence was registered against unidentified accused under Section 319(2) of the BNS, along with Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

An investigation is underway.

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