70-year-old retired scientist loses ₹2 lakh in cyber fraud via unauthorized online link, partially refunded until appeal forces full reimbursement from SBI

Summary

A 70-year-old retired scientist in Bengaluru lost nearly Rs 2 lakh in a cyber fraud incident on July 19, 2022, after unknowingly interacting with an unauthorised online link, which led to fraudulent debits from his State Bank of India (SBI) account. An additional Rs 25,000 was also withdrawn but later reversed by the bank. The victim reported the fraud to SBI within three hours, but the bank only refunded Rs 25,000, leaving the bulk of the amount unrecovered despite multiple follow-ups. A district consumer commission initially dismissed the complaint in August 2023, ruling there was no service deficiency and that the Reserve Bank of India’s zero-liability clause did not apply. The victim appealed to the Karnataka State Consumer Commission in October 2023, which on May 26, 2025, ordered SBI to refund the full amount of nearly Rs 2 lakh within 60 days, along with Rs 25,000 in compensation and litigation costs.