Noida man loses phone’s control, duped of ₹6.1 lakh: Police

Police said that it was suspected that the fraudsters gained access to his mobile phone, and on the pretext of the application process, they obtained the OTPs.

A 54-year-old man from Greater Noida West allegedly lost ₹6.1 lakh in cybercrime last week, police said, adding that cybercriminals took access of his phone on the pretext of completing a credit card application.

The cybercriminals took access of his phone on the pretext of completing a credit card application, said police.

The victim -- a resident of Haibatpur in Greater Noida West -- stated in his complaint that at around 11.17am on October 31, he received a call from an unidentified number. “The caller offered to provide a credit card. When I agreed, he sent me an application on WhatsApp. I could not open it on my phone, so he video called me to explain the process,” the victim said in his complaint filed at the Cybercrime Branch police station.

The complainant suspects the caller took access of his phone on the video call. “Around 3pm, when I went to a CNG station and attempted to make payment using my card, it failed. After three failed attempts, I checked my bank account and learned that 12 unauthorised transactions amounting to ₹6.1 lakh were made,” the FIR read.

Subsequently, the victim contacted bank customer service to report the fraud.

On the basis of his complaint, police registered a case under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act against unidentified suspects at the Cybercrime Branch police station. “It was suspected that the fraudsters gained access to his mobile phone, and on the pretext of the application process, they obtained the OTPs. A case has been registered, and efforts are underway to trace them,” said a police officer.