Panic and outrage erupted in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur on Saturday after more than 100 phones purchased from a single mobile store abruptly reset, wiped user data and then became unusable.

Most buyers were young customers who had bought the phones on monthly instalments, and the sudden malfunction triggered suspicion of large-scale fraud, media reports said.

According to affected buyers, the devices functioned normally for 10–15 days before freezing on the “Hello” startup screen, the display that appears when a device is factory reset. Attempts to restart, unlock, or restore the phones reportedly failed. Several users claim they lost all personal data stored on the devices.

Soon after the shutdown, dozens of frustrated customers gathered outside the shop, accusing the owner of selling

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