Mumbai: A manager with the Saki Naka branch of a private bank is the latest to fall prey to cyber fraudsters who in the garb of pending power bill duped him of nearly Rs 1.6 lakh.
Saki Naka police, who registered the case on Monday, said the 47-year-old bank manager, who resides in Kalyan, first clicked on the genuine link and paid Rs 1,860 for the current month and then clicked on the fraudulent link to update the payment and got duped by cyber fraudsters. Police said the fraudster managed to convince the bank manager that the system did not get an update regarding the payment done and made him click on the link to update the payment.
In his complaint, the complainant said on June 18, his wife received a text message on her phone that his electricity connection would be disconnected as his previous month’s bill was not updated and she informed him.
The bank manager said, “I made the online payment from my credit card issued by my bank. After making the payment for Rs 1,860, I called on the number received in the message. The caller informed me that he is from Mahavitaran and my payment has not yet been received. He sent me a link and told me to click on it and update the payment. But as soon as I clicked on the link and entered the details, multiple transactions totalling Rs 1.55 lakh were carried out from my card.”
An officer from Saki Naka police station said that the cyber team has sought details from the bank to know about the account where the money got credited. “The team is also tracking the call record to the number that the manager communicated after making online payment through the genuine website,” he added.
In all, 33 such cases were registered at 25 of 94 police stations in Mumbai between June 7 to 19, and fraudsters conned people to the tune of Rs 47 lakh.
The Maharashtra cyber cell has been sending text alerts to citizens warning about the electricity bill frauds and asking them not to click on any links without verification.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/bank-manager-falls-prey-to-power-bill-con-loses-1-6l/articleshow/92375573.cms
