TV actor duped of ₹2.24 lakh by man posing as hospital employee

Mumbai: Television actress Aman Sandhu on Saturday registered an FIR against unknown online fraudsters at the Goregaon police after she was duped of ₹2

Mumbai: Television actress Aman Sandhu on Saturday registered an FIR against unknown online fraudsters at the Goregaon police after she was duped of ₹2.24 lakh. According to Sandhu, who stays at Goregaon West with her mother, she was looking for the website of Criticare Hospital in Juhu to book an appointment with an orthopaedic for her mother.

When she clicked on the link ‘online complaint.apk’, she received a message on her phone that ₹5,000 was debited from her account.

Sandhu said that she found the website and clicked on the link which had a photo of the hospital. “I wanted to know the timings of the Orthopaedic ward so that I could take my mother for treatment,” said Sandhu who then dialled the number displayed on the website.

“The man introduced himself as an employee of the hospital and told me that the ward was open from 4 pm to 8 pm. He then told me that he was sending me a link through which I would have to pay ₹5 and get a prescription which I would have to show at the hospital,” said Sandhu.

When she clicked on the link ‘online complaint.apk’, she received a message on her phone that ₹5,000 was debited from her account. “I asked the man who was still on the phone why ₹5,000 was debited, he said that he did not make any transaction. I then opened the net banking app of my three accounts to see what was happening when I received messages from the other two banks that ₹1 lakh from each of the accounts was debited. Within five seconds and I lost ₹2.24 lakh,” said Sandhu.

When she questioned the man again, he said that he would refund the amount and then disconnected the phone.

“I rushed to my bank to stop the payment when they said I should go to the police. Within half hour I was at the police station. The officers then called up the RBI and blocked the payment but only one of my accounts shows that the payment was blocked,” added Sandhu.

Sandhu then approached the cyber police station, which registered her complaint and transferred it to the Goregaon police station.

“When I clicked the link, fraudsters mirrored my phone. When I opened the net banking app and typed my password, they were able to access my account and withdraw the sum,” added Sandhu. The police have told Sandhu that she might get her money back as the bank had blocked the amount.

The Goregaon police said that they have booked the accused under sections 419 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 66 (c) and 66 (d) of the Information Technology Act.