55-year-old Navi Mumbai man gives ‘bank employee’ his card details, loses Rs30,000

The Navi Mumbai man gave the fraudster his bank account number, ATM card number and PIN

A 55-year-old Nerul resident lost Rs30,000 after he gave his bank details to an unidentified caller claiming to be a bank employee last week. Police said the fraudster called Rajesh Gupta on February 19, saying his card would be blocked owing to security issues.

Police said they have undertaken initiatives such as conducting seminars and workshops, distributing booklets and putting up banners and hoardings to create awareness about cybercrime. (HT FILE)

“When my father asked what he could do to prevent this, the caller asked for his bank details. My father gave him his bank account number, ATM card number and PIN,” said Arun, 26, Gupta’s son.

After a few hours, Gupta received a text message informing him that Rs30,000 had been withdrawn from his account. Arun said he saw this message and questioned his father. “When I checked with him, he said he gave his details to a bank official. I then realised what had happened,” he said.

Arun added that his father worked at a private company till last year, but is currently unemployed. “That is why he is now distressed,” he said.

Gupta registered a case on the state government’s online portal. He also informed the Navi Mumbai cyber cell what happened. “Such incidents are frequent. The culprits call residents from different cities and ask for their bank details. In a few cases, calls are made from neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Some people trust these fraudsters and end up losing money,” said Ankush Khedekar, police inspector from Navi Mumbai cyber cell.