Mumbai: Cyber Fraud Targets Police Constable, Rs 94,103 Lost from Bank Account

A police constable attached to the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police station has fallen prey to an online fraud, losing ₹94,103 from his bank account after being duped by cyber fraudsters. The victim has lodged a complaint with the Cyber Helpline (1930).

The complainant has been identified as Sachin Chavan (52), posted at BKC police station and residing in Bhandup (West). The incident took place on September 1, 2025, around 7:46 pm, when Chavan was near the Asian Heart bus stop in BKC.

According to the complaint, Chavan received a call from an unknown mobile number. The caller posed as a hospital employee and claimed that he had mistakenly transferred ₹30,000 to Chavan’s bank account instead of depositing it in the hospital. The fraudster asked Chavan to check his messages, where he indeed received a message showing a credit of ₹30,000.

Believing the claim, the fraudster then requested Chavan to return a portion of the money. Acting on the instructions, Chavan transferred ₹5,000 via a payment app to another bank account and even shared a screenshot of the transaction.

Later, the fraudster tricked Chavan further by sending a fake "receive money" message and asked him to double-tap the message and enter his five-digit PIN to accept the refund. The moment Chavan entered the PIN, ₹77,091 was debited from his bank account. When Chavan questioned this, the caller again sent a similar message and persuaded him to repeat the process, leading to another ₹12,012 being withdrawn.

It was only after the second deduction that Chavan realised he had been duped. He immediately reported the matter to the Cyber Helpline (1930). Upon verification, it was found that no ₹30,000 had ever been credited to his account. The total amount siphoned stood at ₹94,103.

The constable has sought legal action against the unknown fraudster for cheating and breach of trust through electronic means. BKC Police have registered the complaint and are conducting further investigation.