In a distressing incident, a 78-year-old man residing in Rizvi Complex, Bandra West, fell prey to an online scam, resulting in a loss of Rs 8.75 lakh. The fraudulent scheme unfolded when Chandra Joshi received a call from an unknown number on December 8, around 5 p.m., with the caller impersonating an ICICI bank manager named Raheshkumar Gupta from the Connaught Branch in New Delhi.
The imposter, claiming that Joshi’s PAN card required urgent updating, warned of potential account closure if the details were not promptly provided. To facilitate the update, the fraudster shared a link with Joshi, who, trusting the deceptive caller, clicked on it. Subsequently, Joshi filled out an online form, divulging personal and bank information.
Following the submission, Joshi received five consecutive bank notifications, revealing that a staggering Rs 8.75 lakh had been fraudulently debited from his ICICI bank account through various transactions. Reacting promptly, Joshi visited the nearest ICICI bank branch near Mehboob studio in Bandra West, reporting the incident to bank officials.
The bank initiated further procedures in response to Joshi’s complaint. On December 11, Chandra Joshi formally filed a case at Bandra Police Station against the unidentified fraudster. The charges include sections 419 (cheating) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. The unfortunate incident underscores the need for vigilance and caution in the face of increasingly sophisticated online scams.
