A cybercrook duped a private firm employee from Chinchwad, Pune, of Rs 6.87 lakh by posing as a representative of her bank in April. The woman had filed an online complaint, and after preliminary investigations, a case was registered with the Chinchwad police on Wednesday.
How the Fraud Unfolded
An officer from the Chinchwad police stated that in April, the complainant attempted to send money to a friend but mistakenly transferred the funds to a wrong bank account via an online transaction. In an effort to recover the money, she searched online for her bank's customer care number.
She contacted a number she found, and the person on the other end posed as a bank employee, obtaining details of the bank account she used for the transaction as well as her other bank accounts.
Video Call and Phone Access
The suspect then contacted the woman via a video call and requested her to make changes to her cellphone's settings. “He then accessed her cellphone and sent OTPs. As soon as the woman shared the OTPs, Rs 6.87 lakh was siphoned from her two bank accounts,” the officer explained.
Investigation Underway
Investigations so far have revealed that the amount was transferred to four bank accounts. “We have sought the details of these bank accounts from the two banks where the victim had her accounts,” the officer added. The police are working to trace the fraudster and recover the stolen funds.
This incident highlights the need for caution when dealing with customer care numbers found online and the importance of verifying the authenticity of such contacts before sharing sensitive information.
