Kolkata: A 43-year-old man from Baruipur alleged that Rs 2 lakh was siphoned from his public bank account an hour after his cellphone was stolen near Sealdah on Feb 13. Kolkata Police has registered a case of theft and cyber fraud, and to issue a fresh warning on securing banking applications.
Entally cops registered the case under Sections 303(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on a written complaint by a resident of Baruipur.
In his complaint, the victim said the thief used an OTP to access his account on the phone, and made multiple unauthorised transactions to siphon Rs 2,00,000. Police records showed the alleged wrongful loss occurred through transactions linked to a location near a gold store on Dr LMB Road.
An officer said they suspect the victim's banking credentials were stored on the device, making it easier for criminals to move quickly. "Our team is working to trace the transaction trail and identify the beneficiary accounts," the officer said.
Police said they are examining CCTV footage from the Sealdah bus stand area and nearby locations to identify suspects and reconstruct the sequence of events around the reported pickpocketing. Officers are also coordinating with the bank's fraud investigation cell to obtain transaction logs, timestamps and beneficiary details, and to determine whether the transfers were made through UPI, net banking, or other in-app payment channels.
Cybersecurity specialists said the case fits a growing pattern in which phone theft is followed almost immediately by unauthorised withdrawals, indicating that thieves are targeting devices with active banking apps, saved credentials, or weak screen locks.
Police said the incident is the second such case reported within a week, and urged users to secure devices with strong passcodes, restricted app access, and two-factor authentication. They also asked the victims of theft to act quickly and block SIM cards and banking access.