Mumbai: A Malad resident Rishi Nagpal was shaken by an incident that unfolded at Bangur Nagar police station on Saturday. An FIR had been lodged against an unidentified individual who cunningly swindled Rs. 99,999 from Nagpal's mother Rajkumari (72) under the guise of securing an appointment for her at Kokilaben Hospital, Andheri (W).
Rishi Nagpal approached the authorities when he discovered that his mother had fallen victim to this deceitful act. The FIR revealed that Rajkumari, who had undergone knee surgery on May 14, was instructed by her doctors to return for a follow-up examination ten days later.
Duped on the pretext of service charge
On May 22, Rajkumari endeavored to book her appointment at the hospital. She Googled for the hospital's number and on the first page itself she came across a mobile number. However, she failed to connect to that number. Shortly thereafter, she received a call from a different number. The caller inquired, "Have you called to book an appointment?" Rajkumari innocently confirmed her intent, but the call abruptly ended.
Soon enough, Rajkumari received yet another call, this time from someone claiming to be an employee of the hospital. This person provided her with a link to book the appointment and insisted that a nominal "service charge" of Rs. 10 be paid. Engaging her in conversation, the alleged scammer cunningly requested Rajkumari's One Time Password (OTP) and even convinced her to divulge her bank details. In the blink of an eye, she received a text message from her bank, notifying her of an unauthorized withdrawal of Rs. 99,999 from her account.
Assistant Police Inspector Vivek Tambe shed light on the situation, explaining that the culprit likely gained root access to Rajkumari's phone, thereby facilitating the fraudulent transaction. Tambe suspected that the scammer hailed from Jharkhand, potentially linked to an organized racket operating in the region.
The Bangur Nagar police station have registered an FIR against the unknown perpetrator, charging him under IPC sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating), and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Citizens must follow precautionary measures
To prevent such incidents from occurring in the future, it is crucial for citizens to exercise caution and follow some precautionary measures. When contacting hospitals or institutions, it is advisable to use official landline or toll-free numbers rather than private ones. Seek information exclusively from authentic websites associated with the hospitals or companies in question. Avoid installing applications suggested by unknown sources, and never disclose your OTP to anyone.
