Mangaluru, Mar 6: In a chilling reminder of the evolving sophistication of cybercriminals, a 69-year-old retired bank official in Mangaluru has been defrauded of ₹28.5 lakh after her smartphone was remotely compromised.

The incident, which unfolded late Tuesday evening, began not with a suspicious link or a pushy phone call, but with a haunting silence.

The “Silent” Attack

According to the official complaint, the victim was at her residence in Mangaluru around 9:30 PM on March 3 when her mobile device suddenly went dead to incoming calls. This tactic—often associated with SIM swapping or remote malware execution—is designed to prevent victims from receiving real-time transaction alerts or verification calls from their banks.

The silence was shattered shortly after by a barrage of debit notifications. Within a staggering window of time, the hackers bypassed security protocols to siphon funds from four separate bank accounts belonging to the retiree.

Swift Action, Hard Lessons

Despite the shock, the victim demonstrated remarkable presence of mind:

Immediate Freeze: She contacted bank helplines to lock her ATM cards and accounts.

Official Reporting: She dialed 1930, the national cybercrime helpline, to flag the fraudulent transfers.

Legal Recourse: A formal case has been registered at the CEN (Cyber, Economic, and Narcotics) Crime Police Station in Mangaluru.

Authorities are currently investigating the breach, focusing on how the perpetrators gained administrative access to the device. This case serves as a stark warning to residents across Mangaluru and digital banking users everywhere: if your phone suddenly loses network or stops receiving calls while other functions remain active, contact your bank immediately from a different device.