Noida: Astrologer duped of ₹3.74L over installing power meter

Police said on November 28, multiple transactions were processed and a total of ₹3.74 lakh was siphoned off from the bank of account of the victim’s wife

A 49-year-old man in Noida lost ₹3.74 lakh on November 28 to a cybercriminal posing as a customer executive from the power department who allegedly siphoned off the money from his wife’s account while pretending to process an electricity meter request.

On November 25, the victim had received a call from an unidentified number and the caller introduced himself as the customer executive from the power department for the meter installation process. (Representational image)

Police said the victim was a resident of a high-rise in Sector 105.

In the FIR, the victim, an astrologer, said: “On November 25, I received a call from an unidentified number and the caller introduced himself as the customer executive from the power department for the meter installation process. As I had already applied for the installation of a meter in my home, I believed him and held the conversation. The caller asked me to download an App, and I paid ₹13 after submitting my wife’s card details.”

Police said on November 28, multiple transactions were processed and a total of ₹3.74 lakh was siphoned off from the bank of account of the victim’s wife.

“On November 29, the victim reported the incident to the National Cyber Reporting Portal (NCRP), and a case under sections 318(4) (cheating), 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nayay Sanhita and the Information Technology Act was registered against the unidentified suspect,” said Vijay Rana, SHO, cybercrime Branch police station, adding that further investigation is underway.