In a shocking incident, an assistant police officer working with the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) fell victim to a cyber fraud in Goregaon. An unidentified cyber fraudster swindled ₹4.8 lakh from the officer’s two bank accounts by luring him with a credit card offer. The Vanrai Police have registered a case under various sections of fraud and the IT Act, and a parallel investigation is underway by the Cyber Cell.
The complainant, an Assistant Police Inspector, resides in the SRPF camp in Goregaon with his wife and two children. He is currently serving as an Assistant Sub-Inspector in the State Reserve Police Force. On December 21, while he was on leave and at home, he received a call from an unknown individual around 1 PM. The caller offered him a credit card, to which the officer agreed. Shortly after, the fraudster sent him a link, asking him to open it and download an application.
After opening the link, the officer was prompted to enter personal information and share an OTP. While uploading the details, ₹3 was debited from his debit card as part of a test transaction. However, within moments, several unauthorized transactions were conducted from his two bank accounts, resulting in a total loss of ₹4.8 lakh.
Realizing the fraud through bank messages, the officer promptly reported the matter to the Cyber Helpline and filed a complaint at Vanrai Police Station. Following his complaint, the police registered a case against the unidentified cyber fraudster under sections of fraud and the IT Act. Both local police and Cyber Cell officials are conducting investigations to trace the culprits.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant and avoid sharing sensitive banking information or OTPs with unknown individuals to prevent falling victim to such scams.