The fraud came to light when a failed online payment revealed unauthorised transactions totalling over Rs 8 lakh
The victim realised when she ordered a coffee online and received a message that she crossed the transaction limit. Representation Pic/istock
The Juhu police have arrested a domestic help, identified as Mohan Bhagora, for allegedly stealing his employer’s mobile phone password and transferring money from the employer’s bank account to himself and his relatives. To avoid suspicion, he had been deleting transaction messages.
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The incident came to light when the employer attempted to pay for food online and the payment was declined. She received a message that the daily transaction limit had been exhausted. Upon checking her bank statement, she discovered that R1 lakh had been transferred to Bhagora’s account.
According to police sources, the 47-year-old complainant, an artist residing with her husband and children in the JVPD area of Juhu, had three househelp. Two, including Bhagora, stayed at her home, while the third worked on a daily basis.
“On February 3, the complainant ordered coffee online. When the delivery person arrived, she attempted to pay using her mobile phone, but the transaction failed multiple times. She then received a message stating that her daily transaction limit had been reached,” said a police officer.
“Upon checking her bank statement, she discovered that Rs 1 lakh had been transferred to Bhagora’s account. When questioned, he initially denied any involvement but later confessed. The complainant informed her husband, and upon further review of their bank statements, they found that since 2023, Bhagora had transferred more than R8 lakh to his own and his relatives' accounts,” said the officer.
“During interrogation, Bhagora admitted that he had secretly observed the complainant’s mobile password and the PIN of her banking application. He would transfer money whenever he got the chance and delete transaction messages to avoid detection,” said the officer.
“Suspecting that he might have stolen even more money, the complainant and her husband confronted him and informed him that they would file a police complaint. When they tried to restrain him, Bhagora attempted to escape by jumping out of a window. He fell within the building premises and sustained injuries. Fortunately, he did not suffer any serious harm. The complainant then took him to Cooper Hospital for treatment,” the officer added.
Based on the employer’s complaint later, the Juhu police have registered an FIR and arrested Bhagora under relevant sections of the BNS. Further investigation is underway, said an officer from Juhu police station.
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