Man posing as Chief Manager of State Bank of India (SBI) duped a flat owner of Rs 4.45 lakh
In Gurugram, a shocking case of fraud has come to light where a man posing as the Chief Manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) duped a flat owner out of ₹4.45 lakh. The scam began when the victim, Vikas Kumar, placed an advertisement on the OLX app to rent out his flat in Pyramid Society, Sector 89.
How the Fraud was done?
After posting the ad, Vikas received a call from someone who introduced himself as Vikas Kumar, claiming to be the Chief Manager at SBI. The fraudster said he had recently been transferred to the bank’s Sikandarpur Badha branch and needed a flat for rent. To appear credible, he even sent copies of an Aadhaar card and a bank ID card via WhatsApp. They agreed on a monthly rent of ₹19,000.
The scammer then told Vikas that he usually receives six months’ rent in advance from the bank. Soon after, he transferred ₹1 to Vikas’s bank account to gain his trust. Later, the fraudster claimed to have transferred ₹95,000 for six months’ rent and asked Vikas to deduct one month’s rent and security deposit and transfer the remaining amount back to him. Believing the story, Vikas transferred ₹38,000 on January 23.
After receiving the money, the fraudster continued to make excuses, claiming he hadn’t received the earlier payments and asking for more money. To further gain Vikas’s trust, he asked for a small test transfer of ₹10 on January 25 and then convinced Vikas to send larger amounts. Over four days, Vikas transferred a total of ₹4.45 lakh, including money sent from his friend’s account.
When Vikas checked his account balance, he realized he had been scammed. He immediately contacted the Cyber Police Station and filed a complaint, providing all transaction details, screenshots, and account numbers.
Police Investigation
According to Investigating Officer Sunil Kumar, both the victim and the accused share the same name, Vikas Kumar, which added to the confusion. Based on the complaint, an FIR has been registered, and efforts are underway to track down the accused.
The police have warned the general public to be extra cautious when making online transactions and dealing with unknown individuals on platforms like OLX. Always verify the identity of the person and double-check details before transferring money to avoid falling victim to such scams.
