Bengaluru: A 61-year-old senior citizen, seeking relief from family problems, lost over Rs 8 lakh to a gang of cyber fraudsters posing as astrologers. The accused, identified as Murali NS, Veda Murthy, and Mahesh Bhat, convinced the victim that his family was suffering due to black magic and promised to rid the evil spells through rituals over a year ago. After realizing he was cheated, he filed a complaint recently.
How the fraud unfolded
According to the complaint filed by Panduranga AN, a resident of Shankarapuram in south Bengaluru, his ordeal began on March 9, 2025. He clicked on a Facebook advertisement and later received a call from a man identifying himself as Murali from “Rayara Jyotishya Phala Kendra.” As Panduranga shared the problems faced by his family, Murali collected his horoscope details.
Murali later claimed to have studied the horoscope and allegedly told the victim that someone had performed black magic on his family, causing constant problems and preventing progress in life. Exploiting his fears, Murali assured him that they would “remove the spell” and demanded Rs 10 lakh.
Payments made through UPI and bank transfers
Murthy provided UPI IDs. Panduranga initially transferred smaller amounts through digital payment applications before making multiple payments to bank accounts provided by the accused between March 14 and April 9 last year. Later, Murali provided him with a bank account number to which the victim transferred Rs 5 lakh between October 14 and November 27 last year, as instructed by the fraudsters. The accused reportedly assured him that the black magic issue would be resolved within a month.
However, when the complainant later tried contacting them, his calls allegedly went unanswered. Soon after, another person, identifying himself as Mahesh Bhat, contacted him and demanded an additional Rs 5 lakh to solve his problem.
Threats and refusal to refund
When the complainant refused to make any more payments and insisted on getting his money back after giving them ample time to refund, the accused refused, threatened him verbally, and switched off their phones.
A senior police officer said the complainant had not met the accused in person and all conversations and payments happened online.
Police registration and advisory
A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 (cheating) of the BNS at the Shankarapuram police station on May 21. “Efforts are on to trace the accused. People should be cautious about fake advertisements on social media platforms. No payments should be made without meeting the person,” the officer added.
