Couple loses ₹6.75L while trying to recover ₹3,325 sent to wrong account

An elderly couple lost ₹7 lakh while trying to recover ₹3,325 sent to the wrong account due to a phishing scam related to a wrong IFSC code.

MUMBAI: An elderly couple from Chinchpokli lost ₹7 lakh while attempting to recover an amount of ₹3,325, which they had transferred through an online transaction to a wrong account by mistakenly giving a wrong ISFC code.

Couple loses ₹6.75L while trying to recover ₹3,325 sent to wrong account

The police said the couple found out the bank with the ISFC code they had given and obtained its contact number through internet search. They contacted the number and as instructed by the person who took the call, followed certain steps on BHIM app and ended up losing ₹7 lakh.

The police said the senior citizens are retirees who had worked in banks. The incident occurred on January 23 when the wife of the 74-year-old complainant was trying to pay ₹3,325 to their cable operator through an online transaction. The woman paid the amount through BHIM app and sent the screenshot of the transaction to the cable operator, who, however, informed her that he had not received the amount.

On checking the transaction, the woman realised that she had mistakenly entered the wrong IFSC code. The couple then identified the bank with the same ISFC code and found a contact number in an internet search. “The wife dialled the mobile number and requested the person to reverse the transaction as the amount was mistakenly sent to the account in his branch,” said a police officer.

The person at the other end, who identified himself as the ‘branch manager’, asked the woman to update her BHIM app and took several details like her account ID from her and instructed her to follow certain steps. Before disconnecting the call, he also asked her to update her ATM card.

In the next 2-3 days, the complainant kept on receiving messages on his mobile phone that certain amounts like ₹90,000 and ₹95,000 were debited from their joint bank account. In this way, a total of ₹6.75 lakh was debited from the account.

The complainant then visited the branch and requested them to freeze the account and reported the matter to the Kalachowki police on February 11. “Based on the complaint, we have registered a case against an unknown individual,” said the police officer.