Amid nationwide lockdown, a bank manager in Odisha was duped of an amount of Rs 19,000 when he placed an online order for liquor on Tuesday.
While essential commodities are being made available by the authorities amid lockdown, the drinkers are finding it tough to procure liquor.
As a preventive measure to contain the spread of Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown from March 24 midnight.
The incident has taken place at Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha.
According to a media report, the banker of a nationalized bank while surfing on the internet came across a website that claimed that it extends home delivery service of liquor in the city against online orders.
The bank manager reportedly placed an online order for a beer bottle.
The price of the beer bottle was Rs 260.
As soon as he placed the order, the banker received a phone call saying that his order was accepted.
But to confirm the order for home delivery, the caller asked him to click on a bar code that would be forwarded to him.
The banker, who was desperate to have the liquor bottle at any cost, without wasting any time, clicked on the bar code.
Soon after he clicked on the bar code, the banker received a message which said an amount of Rs 19,000 was debited from his bank account.
When he dialed the number again immediately, it went ‘untraceable’.
After being duped, the bank manager lodged an online complaint with the deputy commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar, informing about the matter.
Reportedly, the police have initiated an investigation into the case.
The police have urged the people to remain alert on such online fraudsters and not to fall in their traps.