Agartala, April 11, 2025: In yet another alarming case of cyber fraud, a housewife from Tripura’s Dakshin (South) Charilam Krishna Sangha area in Sepahijala district has lost ₹22,000 to online scammers who lured her with the false promise of a ₹5,000 lottery prize. The victim is identified as Mahamaya Acharya, had recently taken a loan for her son’s event and within two days of the loan being credited, she fell into the trap of a cyber fraud racket.

According to sources, Mahamaya received a call on Wednesday night from an unknown individual claiming that she had won a ₹5,000 prize through a Google Play lottery. The caller asked her to follow a simple processing step to claim the prize. Trusting the information, she shared the One Time Password (OTP) sent to her phone.

The moment she shared the OTP, the fraudsters accessed her Ujjivan Bank account and siphoned off ₹22,000 by Thursday evening.

“My wife received a call claiming she had won ₹5,000. We didn’t imagine it was a fraud. By the time we realized, the money was gone,” said Raju Acharya, Mahamaya’s husband in a distressed tone.

The couple rushed to Bishramganj Police Station late Thursday night and lodged a formal complaint. Authorities have begun an investigation and have urged the public to remain cautious.

“A moment of greed can lead to lifelong regret. The government is continuously raising awareness about cyber fraud, but people still need to be extremely careful before sharing personal information,” said a police official.

Officials reminded citizens that genuine schemes never require OTP sharing or advance payments. The incident serves as yet another wake-up call to stay vigilant in the digital age.