A 45-year-old private firm employee lost her valuables and ₹2 lakh when she left her bag unattended during her company’s cricket event at ITI Grounds, K.R. Puram, on January 11.

In her complaint, Swetha said that she had placed her bag, containing her phone and wallet, on a chair near the seating area. By the time the match was over, she noticed that her bag was missing.

“I called my phone from my friend’s phone, and a man answered it, saying he had taken it by mistake and would return it. I believed it was someone from the company,” she said.

Her husband tracked the phone and found the man moving from one shop to another. “Even then, I didn’t suspect him of stealing my money,” she added.

The man later informed her that he would send the phone through an auto driver. Her bag was later found in the parking lot, but ₹2,000 and her cards were missing from her wallet.

The auto driver returned her phone and cards, but it was discovered that her SIM had been used in another device. The thief reset the PIN of her debit and credit cards using OTPs sent to her mobile number. He had removed the SIM card from her mobile and used it in another handset to access the OTP. He had made 12 withdrawals across three ATMs, stealing ₹2 lakh.

The police are investigating and tracking the man using the details provided by the complainant and the auto driver. They are also examining the CCTV footage at the three ATM kiosks where the money was withdrawn.