A retired teacher from Noida became the victim of a sophisticated phone scam, losing over Rs 6.6 lakh to a fraudster who impersonated an old classmate. The incident, which took place in October last year, highlights the growing menace of social engineering attacks targeting individuals.
The Deceptive Call and Shared Memories
On October 23, 2023, the retired teacher, a resident of Golf View Society in Noida's Sector 78, received a call from an unknown number. The caller, who addressed him by an old nickname, introduced himself as Anil Saxena, claiming to be a childhood friend. To build trust, the fraudster convincingly spoke about shared memories from their past.
After establishing a rapport, the caller fabricated a story of a medical emergency, stating he urgently needed money for an operation. He claimed that due to a technical issue with his bank transfer limit, he could not send funds directly to the hospital and needed immediate financial assistance.
The Elaborate Modus Operandi
Initially, the teacher expressed his inability to arrange a large sum. The scammer then asked for the victim's bank account details. Shortly after, the fraudster sent a fake credit message, making it appear as if he had transferred money into the teacher's account to cover the medical expenses.
Without verifying his actual bank balance, the trusting complainant began transferring money to the account number provided by 'Anil Saxena'. Over a period, the victim conducted 10 separate transactions, draining his savings.
Discovery of the Fraud and Police Action
The scam was uncovered when the teacher attempted an 11th transfer. His bank alerted him of insufficient funds. Upon checking his account statement, he realised no money had ever been credited by the caller and the messages were forged.
The victim immediately filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and approached the Cyber Crime police station in Noida. The police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation.
A senior officer stated, "We are collecting details of the bank accounts used in the fraud. Efforts are on to expose the entire modus operandi and recover the cheated amount." The retired teacher lived with his family and had served in the education department.
This case serves as a stark reminder to always verify financial requests, even from seemingly familiar contacts, and to directly confirm any transaction alerts with one's bank before proceeding with further transfers.
