A software engineer working in Pune was targeted in a bizarre online fraud in which cyber criminals gained access to her net banking account on the pretext of suspending her credit card. They not only stole Rs 4.7 lakh from her account but also got a pre-approved personal loan of Rs 2 lakh in her name and then withdrew Rs 6.7 lakh in seven transactions within 40 minutes.
A First Information Report (FIR) in the case has been registered at the Hinjewadi police station by the woman, 24, who works at the Pune office of a multinational Information Technology services major.
According to her complaint, she got a call on the afternoon of May 1 from an unidentified number at 1 pm. The caller claimed to be an executive of the bank she has an account with. The caller said she had two credit cards issued in her name and one of them was not yet activated and asked if she wanted to suspend it or get it activated. The complainant told the caller she would like it to be suspended.
Subsequently, on the pretext of verifying her request, the caller sought the details of her bank account and the PAN number among other things. Then asking her to share the one-time password (OTP) sent to her, the cyber criminals allegedly gained access to her net banking account and replaced her mail address with an address of the name ‘thedarkpartoflife’, officials said.
Within minutes of doing this, the cyber criminals obtained a pre-approved personal loan of Rs 2 lakh in the complainant’s name, about which she received a message. At this point, the complainant realised that she was being cheated. However, before she could take any steps, the cyber criminals siphoned off Rs 6.7 lakh from her bank account.
The complainant then approached the police station after which an FIR under various sections of the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to cheating and criminal breach of trust was registered. A probe has been launched into the contact details and bank accounts used by the cybercriminals.
Cyber investigators have said victims of cyber frauds and online financial scams should approach the police during the ‘golden hours’ or within 24 hours after the crime has taken place. Investigators said while early complaints can give them an edge in the probe, they can also initiate immediate measures to freeze the fraudulent accounts and try to ensure that the money is not lost.
