
Raipur: A bank manager in the capital, Aparna Brahmbhatt (resident of Shriram Nagar), became the target of online fraud amounting to Rs 10 lakh. The incident involved a call impersonating ICICI Bank, where Ms. Brahmbhatt holds a credit card.
The fraudster convinced Ms. Brahmbhatt that a Rs 2499 “fraud protection charge” was due and failure to pay would deactivate her card’s security features. This tactic, along with claiming to be from ICICI (even providing the number on the back of the card), built trust with the victim.
Further deception involved enticing Ms. Brahmbhatt to increase her credit limit. The call ended with the scammer requesting a one-time password (OTP) supposedly to complete the process. Unfortunately, upon providing the OTP, unauthorized transactions drained her account.
Following the discovery of these fraudulent charges, Ms. Brahmbhatt filed a police complaint. The authorities confirmed the case and are investigating.
Highlighting a Wider Issue:
This incident isn’t isolated. Police across the city are seeing a rise in online fraud reports. Another example includes a businessman from Station Road who lost Rs 45,000 but has yet to receive a registered case despite approaching the cyber police station.
These reports suggest a potential issue with registering complaints for smaller online frauds. While Ms. Brahmbhatt’s significant loss resulted in a registered case, others may face delays or dismissals for lower amounts.