How A Fake SIR Update Scam Cost A Mumbai Principal Rs 17 Lakh

The Election Commission of India is carrying out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to verify voter details and update electoral records. The exercise involves checking existing entries as part of the electoral roll revision process.

A Mumbai case has now highlighted how the SIR process was used as a pretext in an alleged fraud involving a retired college principal, who lost Rs 17 lakh after being contacted by a person claiming to be an Election Commission official.

Retired Principal Loses Rs 17 Lakh In Alleged SIR Scam

According to a Times of India report, the retired principal from Deonar was contacted by a caller who introduced himself as Chandrashekar from the Election Commission. The caller claimed that the name of the victim’s father was incorrectly recorded in the voter list and asked him to complete an SIR form before the August 8 deadline.

The caller allegedly warned the retired principal that he could not vote in the next election if he failed to complete the form. He was subsequently asked to download a file and pay Rs 5 as charges for completing the purported SIR submission.

After downloading the file, the scammer allegedly gained remote access to his mobile phone. The victim later received alerts about five unauthorised transactions carried out on August 8.

The money was transferred to accounts held with one private bank and two nationalised banks, resulting in Rs 17 lakh being siphoned off from the victim’s account, according to the report.

Fake Apps Appear On Victim’s Phone

The victim found two applications named Online Voter Verification and Device Protection on his phone and realised that he had been duped. He also received a call from another person, identified as Santosh Gupta, who claimed to be from the Election Commission office.

According to the report, Gupta disconnected the call after learning that the complainant had entered his banking details online.

The East Region cyber police station registered an FIR against three unidentified persons on August 10 following the complaint. The case is being investigated by the cyber police.

The case indicates how the SIR process can be used as a pretext in an alleged financial fraud. Voters should verify election-related communications through official channels and stay cautious about unsolicited requests to download applications.