Summary of this article
A senior citizen couple in Chandigarh lost over Rs 2.2 lakh after fraudsters posing as UrbanClap AC service staff.
They tricked seniors into online transactions under the guise of a banking procedure.
The money was siphoned from four bank accounts.
Digital fraud is growing rapidly across segments. It could be in the name of a job offer, a government authority, a parcel delivery, an attractive investment offer, or so on. Now, fraudsters are using air-conditioning (AC) servicing as bait to trap unsuspecting people in this sultry weather. Senior citizens are an easy target for them. Recently, a senior couple in Chandigarh fell victim to such a fraud, in which fraudsters impersonated a service provider and duped them of over Rs 2.25 lakh.
On May 11, Harish Chander Madan received a phone call. The caller claimed to be an employee of UrbanClap, a popular service platform that provides various services, including home appliance repair. The caller, under the pretext of offering AC servicing and completing a service-related banking procedure, persuaded the senior citizen couple to carry out a few online transactions.
The seniors followed the instructions without suspecting the caller. They realised about the deception only after 24 hours, when money was transferred from their bank accounts in multiple transactions. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, a preliminary investigation by the cybercrime police station in Section 17, Chandigarh, revealed that the stolen funds were siphoned from four separate bank accounts. Madan lost around Rs 95,000 from his Punjab National Bank account and Rs 80,000 from his Bank of India account. His wife's account was also targeted, and she lost around 53,000 from her account.
Upon realising that they had been defrauded, the senior couple reported the matter to the national cyber helpline on May 12. Under the cybercrime cell’s technical investigation, the transactions were traced, and part of the lost money was found in the bank accounts of different individuals. These bank accounts allegedly belonged to Sachin, Sajit Ahmed, and Akhtar Khan.
Police also confirmed that a UCO Bank account linked to Akhtar Khan has already been frozen in an effort to recover the lost money.
Reportedly, the police have registered a formal case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), charging the accused under Section 318(4) for cheating, Section 319(2) for cheating by personation, and Section 61(2) for criminal conspiracy.
The investigation continues with tracing the suspects through bank account details, mobile numbers, and digital transaction records.
This may be another case of digital fraud, but this reminds us that seniors are a soft target for fraudsters. At times, they are unsuspecting and other times, super-suspicious; however, the need of the hour is not to avoid digital modes of transactions but to be vigilant.
One must be careful while sharing any personal information with such callers. The cyber helpline, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), and experts suggest not sharing personal information and bank details, not clicking on links shared by such random callers or links shared on social media platforms, double check that the link, app, or the person on the other end is genuine, and in case a fraud has occurred, inform your bank, the police, and the cybercrime helpline immediately.
