An alert employee of Punjab National Bank saved an elderly man from losing over Rs 20 lakh to cyber fraud.
Cybercriminals tried to cheat an elderly man from Ranchi of ₹20.70 lakh by keeping him under “digital arrest” for six days. The fraudsters posed as a DCP from the Mumbai Crime Branch and told him that he was involved in a money laundering case. They also sent him a fake FIR to make the threat look genuine.
The victim, Pradeep Chakraborty, is a retired employee of an insurance company and lives in Jayanti Apartments in Chuna Bhattha, Ranchi. According to Pradeep, he received a call on Sunday from a person who claimed to be a DCP from the Mumbai Crime Branch. The caller told him that an FIR had been registered against him in Mumbai.
The fraudster also claimed that Pradeep was connected with Naresh Goyal, who had been arrested in a money laundering case. He told Pradeep that Naresh Goyal had sent money to him and had given his details to investigating agencies.
To increase the pressure, the fraudsters sent Pradeep a fake FIR. They asked him to give a written statement saying that he did not know Naresh Goyal. However, even after this, the fraudsters continued to demand money from him.
They kept contacting him over the phone and instructed him not to tell anyone about the matter. The victim was kept under constant pressure and was threatened with serious legal action.
The cybercriminals sent Pradeep a bank account number and asked him to transfer his money. He first tried to make the payment through his mobile phone, but the transaction failed.
The fraudsters then asked him to visit his bank and transfer the money to another account. Pradeep went to the bank and started the process of transferring ₹20.70 lakh.
Bank Manager Stops the Fraud
The PNB bank manager noticed that Pradeep was trying to transfer a large amount of money at once. The manager asked him why he was making the transfer.
During the conversation, the manager became suspicious that Pradeep could be a victim of cyber fraud. The manager immediately stopped the transaction. As a result, ₹20.70 lakh was saved from reaching the cybercriminals.
The bank manager explained Pradeep about the digital arrest and motivated him to register a complaint with the police.
After the bank stopped the transaction, Pradeep went to the cyber police station and informed the police about the incident.
If you have lost money or become the target of a cyber fraud attempt, immediately report it by calling 1930 and file a cybercrime complaint. You should also inform your bank without delay.
