Kolkata Senior Citizen Defrauded of Life Savings in Elaborate Bank Impersonation Scheme
In a distressing incident highlighting the growing sophistication of financial fraud, a 63-year-old woman in Kolkata has been allegedly defrauded of her entire life savings amounting to Rs 16.5 lakh by criminals posing as bank officials. The victim has filed a formal complaint at the Karaya Police Station, detailing how the elaborate scam unfolded over two days.
The Deceptive Visit and Subsequent Phone Call
According to the police complaint, the fraud began on March 25 when a woman, claiming to be an employee of a private bank, visited the senior citizen's residence. The imposter stated she was there to resolve issues related to the bank's mobile application and assured the victim that an official bank representative would contact her shortly to complete the process.
True to this assurance, the victim soon received a call from an unknown number. The caller identified himself as a bank official and instructed her to download a specific mobile application, which he claimed was necessary for resolving the purported banking issues. Unaware that she was being manipulated, the elderly woman complied with the instructions.
The Fraudulent Transactions and Discovery
The following day, March 26, while the victim was resting due to ill health, the fraudsters allegedly executed their plan. They transferred large sums of money from her account through multiple transactions, systematically draining her savings.
The victim only discovered the fraud around 5:15 PM after checking SMS alerts from her bank that detailed the unauthorized withdrawals. Realizing she had been targeted, she immediately took swift action to mitigate further damage.
Immediate Response and Reporting
Upon discovering the fraudulent activity, the woman promptly contacted her bank manager to freeze her accounts and prevent additional unauthorized transactions. She also reported the incident through the National Cyber Crime Portal, initiating an official investigation into the sophisticated impersonation scam.
This case underscores the vulnerability of senior citizens to increasingly complex financial fraud schemes and highlights the critical importance of verifying the identity of anyone claiming to represent financial institutions.
