An insurance agent in Odisha’s Bhadrak district fell victim to a cyber fraud, losing a total of Rs 3.20 lakh in unauthorised withdrawals from three of his bank accounts. The incident occurred in Dalang village under the Dhamnagar police station area, prompting the victim, Bharat Chandra Barik, to lodge a formal complaint.

Barik, who works as an insurance agent, reported that the money was siphoned off in phases—Rs 1.40 lakh in 10 instalments from his Central Bank account, and Rs 1.81 lakh from two UCO Bank accounts. He became aware of the fraud after receiving multiple OTP alerts and transaction notifications on his mobile phone.

The fraud reportedly began after Barik clicked on a suspicious link sent to his phone on Saturday night, which immediately triggered the deduction of nearly Rs 1 lakh from one UCO Bank account. Subsequent withdrawals were made from his other two accounts. Cybercriminals often employ such deceptive links, claiming the recipient has received online payments, to gain access to banking credentials and personal data.

Following the complaint, Dhamnagar police registered an FIR and launched an investigation. All three bank accounts of the victim have been frozen as part of the probe. Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution, avoid clicking on suspicious links, and report any unusual banking activity promptly.