A 60-year-old south Mumbai-based real estate agent was duped to the tune of Rs 57,000 by luring him to redeem a reward on an online payment platform. The accused sought details of three different bank accounts from the victim and made various online transactions from these accounts, transferring a total of Rs 57,498. The real estate agent immediately approached police and lodged a complaint against the accused at MRA Marg police station.
According to the complaint, the real estate agent received a phone call from a man, who identified himself as Rabeen Khan and claimed to be an executive of an online payment platform's mobile application on July 31. During the conversation, Khan told the complainant that he had won a reward of Rs 1,750 and is eligible to redeem the same.
The complainant, who holds a savings account in a couple of banks with his wife, was surprised to having won the reward and showed interest to redeem it. After laying the trap, Khan told the victim that the reward money cannot be credited in his mobile app's account and he will need the bank account's information to complete the process. Accordingly, Khan sent a link of downloading the TeamViewer application on a text message, and asked the complainant to send his account details after sending the OTP received.
"I believed Khan and downloaded the app, sent him the OTP, after which I sent the bank details. However, a few minutes later he informed me that there was an error and would need another bank account's details. Accordingly, I gave him another savings account details, but only to reportedly get the same error. As a last resort, I gave my wife's account details. Meanwhile, I checked my bank's mobile application only to realise that Rs 9,999 was debited from my account," said the estate agent in his complaint.
Upon checking his other bank account, he found that Rs 12,499 was debited and Rs 35,000 was transferred from his wife's account, amounting to a total of Rs 57,498. The complainant immediately approached MRA Marg Police and registered a First Information Report in this matter.
Police said, while they have booked the accused, Rabin Khan, they have sought the bank statement and the Call Data Records to build a strong case and then probe the matter.
