Wayanad, 01 Nov (H.S.):

A schoolteacher in Wayanad district of Keralam has sought police intervention over alleged cyber intrusions that she says have drained her bank accounts, disrupted loan repayments and left her family struggling to meet basic expenses.

Soumya said her loan liability had risen from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 22 lakh following missed instalments and mounting penalties. The family has been unable to pay rent for two months, she added.

According to her complaint, the trouble began in 2022, with unexplained activity involving her mobile phones and personal email accounts. She alleged that money would disappear from her bank accounts, followed by her phones automatically resetting to factory settings.

Over four years, she has changed phones, SIM cards and bank accounts on nine occasions. However, she said similar problems resurfaced within days of switching devices.

Around Rs 2.5 lakh has allegedly been lost from different accounts. A preliminary cyber cell examination reportedly indicated that money had been transferred to online gaming applications through Google Pay vouchers.

Soumya said the losses disrupted her monthly loan repayments. She alleged that charges for failed instalments reached Rs 540 a day, contributing to the sharp increase in her outstanding liability.

Her daughter’s phone recently developed similar problems, allegedly resetting itself after money disappeared from an account. Soumya said another reset occurred within hours of cyber cell personnel creating a fresh email account and password.

The family also reported difficulties accessing ration supplies because biometric authentication had become unavailable, although its alleged connection to the phone problems remains unclear.

Despite examinations by cyber police and private ethical hackers, the source of the reported intrusions has not been established.

Soumya has now submitted a complaint directly to the district police chief. The cyber cell has begun a detailed investigation under the officer’s supervision into the allegations and financial losses.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman