123 Kolkata: A retired bank employee fell victim to a sophisticated cyber fraud, losing Rs 20 lakh from his fixed deposit account through a SIM swap scam, police said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Kalikapur area when fraudsters allegedly blocked the senior citizen's mobile number and transferred it to a new SIM card, gaining access to his account. The theft was discovered when the elderly man's phone suddenly stopped working on April 3. After visiting a local mobile shop the following day, he learned his number was blocked. Upon acquiring a new SIM card, he discovered unauthorised withdrawals totalling Rs 20 lakh from his joint fixed deposit account, which he held with his wife at a state-owned bank branch in Kalikapur.
"The perpetrators withdrew the money in 16 to 17 instalments, ranging from Rs 1 lakh to slightly higher amounts," said a senior investigating officer from the Garfa police station. The Kolkata Police's cyber crime cell explained that SIM swap fraud involves criminals obtaining duplicate SIM cards by presenting fake identification documents. Once they control the victim's phone number, they can intercept one-time passwords and other security verifications required for banking transactions.
"The scamsters are making the customer apply for a new SIM card, and the victim unknowingly accepts the request. The numbers being used to commit the fraud are registered mostly in Jharkhand and Bihar. However, lately, a gang from the Bengal-Bihar border with strong links to Asansol is coming onto our radar," said an officer.
The cyber crime unit has launched an investigation to trace the accounts where the stolen funds were transferred. The Garfa police station has also initiated a parallel investigation based on the victim's written complaint.