IAS officer in Bengaluru falls prey to fraudsters after ordering sari online

Bengaluru: An IAS officer lost Rs 850 to cybercrooks after ordering a sari she saw advertised on YouTube.
Pallavi Akruthi, 42, said she came across an advertisement on YouTube promoting Madurai Sungudi cotton saris. Trusting the ad, she contacted the seller, placed an order, and made payment through a digital payment app. However, the sari was never delivered. Akruthi suspects that the advertiser has similarly deceived several other people.
In her complaint filed with East CEN crime police on April 17, she stated that she came across the ad — posted by the YouTuber ‘@poornimacollections' — on March 10. The alleged fraudster, posing as a vendor, showcased images of various saris in the video, claiming they were Madurai Sungudi cotton saris. The ad instructed interested buyers to send a screenshot of their preferred sari via WhatsApp to the number 7812846206.
Akruthi selected a sari and sent a message on WhatsApp. She subsequently paid Rs 850, including shipping charges, through a digital payment app to the ID ‘poornimacollection25@oksbi'. However, the vendor failed to deliver the sari to her address and stopped responding to her calls and messages.
In her complaint, Akruthi emphasised that while the amount she lost may appear small, the incident highlights a larger issue. She expressed concern the vendor could be similarly targeting many people, potentially accumulating a substantial sum through widespread fraud. A senior cop said a case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 (cheating) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.