Cyber fraudsters duped a 53-year-old man of Rs 73,990 after he searched for the contact number of a financial institution on Google. The Khar police registered a case against an unidentified person for alleged fraud on November 17.
Loan Details and Initial Search
According to the FIR, the complainant, Rajesh M., a resident of Khar West, works as a marketing professional. Two years ago, he had taken a loan of Rs 2 lakh from Aditya Birla Capital Finance and was paying a monthly instalment of Rs 10,852. The remaining loan amount of Rs 73,990 was to be paid off in one go.
On October 13, around 3.30 pm, he searched for the contact number of the company on Google. He tried calling the number he found but could not connect.
Fraud Call and Payment
Shortly after, he received a call from a man claiming to be from Aditya Birla Capital Finance. The caller even sent his loan details via email, convincing him that he was an authorised representative.
Believing the caller, the complainant transferred Rs 73,990 through Google Pay. The next day, when the caller demanded another payment, he grew suspicious. He immediately contacted the Cyber Police helpline (1930) and later approached the Khar police station.
Case Registered Under IT Act
The police registered a case against the unknown person under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Cybercrime Modus Operandi and Police Advisory
Cybercriminals often create fake pages posing as reputed companies. When people search for customer care numbers online, they may unknowingly dial fraudulent numbers, making them vulnerable to scams.
The cyber police have advised citizens to verify details only through the official websites of organisations before making any transactions. They also urged people not to download suspicious files or click on unknown links.
