Mumbai: The city police are investigating a cyber fraud case in which a 68-year-old retired Bank of Baroda employee, Alka Ravindra Kuveskar, was allegedly duped of ₹2.78 lakh. Fraudsters reportedly deceived her by claiming to help generate a Life Certificate and manipulated her into sharing her mobile screen during a WhatsApp video call.
According to the FIR, Kuveskar, a resident of Ganesh Galli in Lalbaug, retired from Bank of Baroda in June 2018. She and her husband, a retired Union Bank employee, maintain a joint account with the Bank of Baroda and are registered for net banking.
WhatsApp Video Call Used to Steal Funds
On October 23, Kuveskar reportedly received a Facebook link titled “Bank of Baroda Life Certificate.” Believing it to be genuine, she entered her bank account details and registered mobile number.
The following day, she received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number claiming to be related to the Life Certificate process. Later that evening, around 5 p.m., another video call from a different number allegedly coerced her into sharing her mobile screen.
During the call, she reportedly saw only a black screen, while the fraudsters accessed her net banking account and transferred ₹2.78 lakh. Kuveskar received several OTP messages, confirming that transactions were being executed.
Complaint Filed, Investigation Underway
Realizing she had been cheated, Kuveskar immediately informed her son and contacted the Cyber Helpline (1930). She then filed a complaint at the Kalachowki police station against two unknown mobile number holders.
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. The investigation is currently ongoing.
