A 48-year-old resident of Shahpur in Ahmedabad has allegedly been defrauded of Rs 3.3 lakh by cyber criminals who posed as officials from Punjab National Bank (PNB). The fraudsters lured the victim with promises of enhanced credit card benefits and higher spending limits.
How the Fraud Unfolded
According to a complaint lodged with Shahpur police, the victim, Yash Shah (48), received a call on April 16 from a man claiming to be a bank representative. The caller informed him about a special offer on his credit cards and asked him to save photographs of the cards in his mobile gallery for verification purposes. Later that evening, the caller contacted Shah again, claiming that his credit card limits could be increased. The fraudster then sent a link via SMS and a file through WhatsApp, instructing the victim to open them while keeping the phone call active for approximately 30 minutes.
Unauthorized Transactions
Police investigations revealed that during this period, the accused gained access to the victim’s credit card details and executed several unauthorized online transactions. The fraudsters siphoned off Rs 1.05 lakh from an ICICI Bank credit card, Rs 82,037 from an RBL Bank card, and Rs 1.39 lakh from an HDFC Bank credit card, totaling Rs 3.27 lakh.
Legal Action
Following the complaint, Shahpur police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and criminal breach of trust, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. Authorities are investigating the matter and have urged citizens to remain vigilant against such fraudulent calls and messages.
