Cyber fraudsters swindled ₹1.25 lakh from a 46-year-old Sewree resident by threatening to deactivate his mobile number unless a ₹250 fee was paid to convert it into a "premium" number. The Sewree Police have registered a case against two unknown individuals and initiated an investigation.
The victim, a private company employee residing in Om Shri Ganesh Nagar, Darukhana, received a call on May 6 around 4:30 PM from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be an employee of a telecom company’s office at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). He falsely informed the victim that his mobile number had been upgraded to a premium plan, which required an immediate payment of ₹250 to avoid permanent deactivation.
Fearing deactivation, the victim agreed to pay. The fraudster sent a payment link via WhatsApp, which the victim unknowingly accessed. As soon as the link was opened, the fraudster gained unauthorized access to the victim’s bank account. Using net banking, the fraudster siphoned off ₹1.24 lakh.
Shocked by the unexpected withdrawal, the victim approached the Sewree Police Station and lodged a complaint. A case of cyber fraud has been registered, and the police are tracing the culprits using the details of the two mobile numbers used in the scam.
Authorities have warned the public to remain vigilant against such scams and avoid clicking on suspicious links or sharing personal banking details.