Mumbai: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a retired Senior Special Assistant from the State Bank of India (SBI), Ramendranath Hemnarayanprasad Sinha, 69, was duped of Rs 1.96 lakh by cybercriminals posing as SBI YONO support personnel.
Retired SBI Official Duped via Fake Facebook Post in Pensioners’ Group
Sinha, fell victim to the scam originated from a Facebook group named SBI Pensioners Association, Chennai Circle, where Sinha, facing login issues with the SBI YONO app, clicked on a post titled SBI YONO Net Banking Login Problem.
According to the FIR, the incident occurred on July 18 between 9:30 AM and 10:55 AM. Originally from Sanjay Gandhinagar, Patna, Bihar, Sinha has been living in Sindhi Society, Chembur (East), Mumbai with his family and using the SBI YONO app for the past seven years.
Recently, he was facing login issues with the app for several days, prompting him to seek assistance through the mentioned Facebook group. He clicked on a post titled SBI YONO Net Banking Login Problem, which led to his phone number being accessed by the fraudsters.
Cybercriminal Posed as ‘Assistant Manager’ with SBI Logo on Truecaller
Shortly after, he received a call from a person whose number displayed the name “Assistant Manager” on Truecaller, with a profile picture showing the SBI YONO logo. Believing it to be a legitimate call from the bank, Sinha answered. The caller claimed to be an SBI representative and guided him through several mobile settings changes to supposedly fix the issue.
Scammer Sent Malicious APK Files via WhatsApp Disguised as YONO App Support
Despite initial suspicion, Sinha was convinced after the caller provided detailed information about SBI procedures. The fraudster then continued the call via WhatsApp using a number that also displayed the SBI YONO logo. He sent two files — SBI YONO.apk and banking.apk — instructing Sinha to install them and follow certain procedures.
Victim Shared Sensitive Banking Details Believing It Was Official Support
During the call, Sinha unknowingly shared sensitive personal and financial information, including his and his wife’s bank account details, debit card numbers, and dates of birth. The fraudster sent additional two APK files and instructed him to avoid using his phone for 24 hours while the application was supposedly being “activated.”
Rs 1.96 Lakh Transferred to Account Under Qwikcilver Solutions Pvt Ltd
Shortly after the call ended, Sinha discovered that Rs1,96,500 had been debited from his bank account. Alarmed, he contacted his daughter, who quickly rushed to a bank branch in Bandra East and had the accounts blocked. Upon further inquiry, the transaction was found to have been transferred to an account under the name WDL TFR INB QWIKCILVER SOLUTIONS PVT.
Sinha reported the incident to the national cybercrime helpline (1930) and later filed an official complaint at the Chunabhatti Police Station. Based on his complaint, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
