Mumbai: A 68-year-old businessman lost Rs2.31 lakh to a suspected phishing fraud. He learnt about the unauthorised transactions after he started receiving a series of one-time passwords (OTP) and transaction alert messages on his phone.
Statement Of The Byculla Police
According to the Byculla police, the Mazgaon resident is in hardware supplying business. From June 3, he started receiving different messages and OTP on his phone, but he initially ignored them as he hadn't availed internet banking facility. However, he again received transaction alerts three days later when he was at home. Convinced that someone had made unauthorised use of his mobile number to carry out fraudulent transactions, the senior citizen approached the bank.
He was shocked to know that the whopping amount has been siphoned from his account through multiple transactions.
“In many cases, we have observed that the aggrieved unknowingly clicks on a link or downloads an app that gives unauthorised access of his device to a third person,” said a police officer.
In this manner, the scammer carries out fraudulent transactions. In this case, it has to be probed how the scammer managed to siphon the money, the cop added.
Case Registered Under Various Sections Of IT Act
The police have registered a case under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act.
