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Mumbai: A 50-year-old BEST conductor was duped of Rs 6.83 lakh in a cyber fraud after falling prey to scammers posing as bank officials under the pretext of updating his KYC details. The incident occurred in Wadala and is now under investigation by the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg Police.
How the Scam Unfolded
According to the police, Sandeep Arvind Kamerkar, a senior bus conductor with the BEST Undertaking’s Traffic Planning Department in Wadala (West), resides with his family in the Suparibaug BEST staff quarters in Parel (East).
On August 13, while at work, he received a call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be an employee of Bank of India and informed Kamerkar that his bank KYC (Know Your Customer) was not updated.
Kamerkar initially refused to share the OTP sent to his mobile, stating he would update the KYC himself. However, the fraudster continued to engage him in conversation and eventually sent a malicious link via WhatsApp, asking him to click on it. The link led to a fake app designed to look like Bank of India's official mobile application.
Losses Incurred
Upon clicking the link and entering personal details such as his date of birth and mobile number, Kamerkar unknowingly gave remote access to his banking information. The fraudster then carried out nine unauthorized transactions, draining a total of Rs 6,83,699 from his account.
The fraud came to light the next day when Kamerkar checked his bank account to confirm if his salary had been credited. Though the salary was deposited, he discovered that his bank account had been completely drained, leaving only Rs 86.
Reporting the Crime
Shocked, he visited the Bank of India branch in Wadala (West), where bank officials informed him that the app he had downloaded was fake and that he had been a victim of cyber fraud.
Realizing the seriousness of the fraud, Kamerkar attempted to report the incident through the cyber helpline number 1930, but was unable to get through due to repeated busy signals. He then personally visited the Cyber Crime Cell in Bandra (West) to file a complaint, followed by another complaint at the RAK Marg Police Station.
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Police Action
A case has been registered under Sections 318(2), 318(4), and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 43, 66(C), and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. Police have launched an investigation to trace the fraudsters.
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