Prayagraj: Cyber criminals continue to adopt new methods to cheat unsuspecting people, and this time, three residents of the city fell victim to their tricks. Fraudsters, disguising themselves as bank employees, managed to swindle a total of ₹1.64 lakh (₹164,000) from their bank accounts.
By luring the victims with fake claims of card updates, insurance charges, and credit-limit enhancements, the criminals tricked them into clicking malicious links and sharing confidential OTPs.
Police officials have confirmed that FIRs have been lodged on the basis of written complaints received from the victims, and detailed investigations are now underway.
The “Insurance Charge” Scam
Durgesh Pratap Singh, a resident of Vivek Vihar Colony, Civil Lines, received a suspicious phone call on 9 September from an unknown number.
On the line was a woman who introduced herself as “Medha,” claiming to be an employee of the SBI branch in Rajapur.
She told him that an “insurance charge” had been added to his credit card and persuaded him that the only way to cancel the charge was by activating a link she sent. Trusting her words, Durgesh clicked on the link. Within moments, ₹98,638 was debited from his bank account without his consent.
The “Credit Limit Upgrade” Trap
On 8 September, Manish Raj, a resident of Menhdouri (Teliarganj area), also fell into a similar trap. He reported that he was contacted by a woman who posed as a bank employee. She cleverly convinced him that his credit card limit could be increased.
Later that evening, she asked for an OTP that had been sent to his mobile number, claiming it was essential for the upgrade process. Without suspecting fraud, Manish shared the OTP. Shortly after, an online transaction of ₹50,000 was carried out on his credit card, leaving him shocked and helpless.
The “Silent Transaction” Mystery
In another case, Ishant Srivastava of Sadiyapur (Kareli area)complained to the Kareli police station. He stated that on 25 August, an amount of ₹15,300 was deducted from his bank account. Strangely, he did not receive any OTP or alert message about the transaction.
When Ishant rushed to his bank for clarification, officials could not give him a satisfactory explanation regarding the unauthorized debit, raising further concerns about the safety of digital banking.
Police Action
Police say that they have officially registered FIRs for all three incidents. Investigations are in progress, and cyber-experts are being engaged to trace the fraudsters. Authorities have also urged the public to remain vigilant and to never share OTPs, click on suspicious links, or trust unknown callers claiming to be bank representatives.
Be careful of such calls; don’t divulge any of your bank information. Instead, visit your bank or call your banker and verify, else people would continue being cheated of their hard-earned money, says a police officer
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