Ahmedabad: 71-Year-Old Businessman Loses ₹85,000 After Mobile Phone Is Hacked During Software Update
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Elderly printing business owner’s phone reportedly shut down during an update; ₹85,000 was transferred through PhonePe UPI within 15 minutes
A 71-year-old businessman from Ahmedabad’s Sardarnagar area lost ₹85,000 from his Bank of Baroda account after his mobile phone allegedly got hacked while a software update was underway. The money was transferred through a PhonePe UPI ID without his authorisation, shortly after his phone suddenly stopped functioning.
The victim, Hiranand Topandas Hemwani, has lodged a complaint at Airport Police Station. Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and initiated an investigation.
Mobile Phone Stops Working During Software Update
According to the complaint, Hemwani, a resident of Ambawadi Bhilvas in Sardarnagar, has been running a textile printing business named Bombay Sticker in Kubernagar for the past 12 years.
On October 5, 2026, at around 6 pm, he was at home watching television with his wife, Bhagwatiben, when a software update notification appeared on his mobile phone.
After the update notification appeared, the phone reportedly stopped responding and would not switch off when the couple tried to shut it down. It eventually restarted automatically after some time.
₹85,000 Debited Through PhonePe UPI
The fraud came to light the following day, October 6, when Hemwani was at his shop and attempted to make a ₹5,000 payment for business purposes. The transaction failed because of insufficient funds in his bank account.
On checking the balance of his Bank of Baroda account, he discovered that ₹85,000 had been debited on October 5 at 6.15 pm.
According to the complaint, the amount had been transferred to a PhonePe UPI ID associated with the name 'AKASH BATHAM'. Hemwani told the police that he had not authorised the transaction.
Victim Calls Cyber Helpline 1930
After discovering the unauthorised debit, Hemwani immediately reported the incident to the national cybercrime helpline, 1930, before approaching Airport Police Station to file a formal complaint against an unidentified person.
Police have registered a case under the IT Act and relevant BNS provisions. The investigation is underway to identify the person behind the transaction and trace the money.
