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Home > Mumbai > Mumbai News > Article > Mumbai Online scam empties savings of grieving family

Mumbai: Online scam empties savings of grieving family

Updated on: 15 December,2023 07:37 AM IST  |  Mumbai
Samiullah Khan | samiullah.khan@mid-day.com

To ensure their two young daughters’ well-being, the wife put this amount into a bank fixed deposit (FD)

Mumbai: Online scam empties savings of grieving family

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Before his untimely passing during the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave, a thoughtful husband and father secured a life insurance policy for his family’s future. The family received Rs 50 lakh from the policy after his passing. To ensure their two young daughters’ well-being, the wife put this amount into a bank fixed deposit (FD).


A cyber fraudster, posing as an ICICI Bank representative claiming imminent credit card closure, managed to empty the entire account within a swift 13 minutes. On October 12, the 37-year-old woman resident of Gorai fell victim when a caller, pretending to be from a multinational bank, convinced her to perform immediate online updates to avoid fines. Guided to download the AnyDesk application, the scammer swiftly emptied her five fixed deposit accounts, containing approximately Rs 41 lakh.


Speaking anonymously to mid-day, said that her husband, a former manager at Toyota Motors, passed away on April 30, 2021. Since then, neither she nor her two daughters, aged 10 and 7, have ventured outside, paralysed by the shock of losing her husband and father-in-law to the same tragedy.


Insurance of Rs 50 lakh

After her husband’s demise, she received Rs 50 lakh as insurance, using some for her father-in-law’s treatment and to support her children. Approximately Rs 41 lakh was invested in five Fixed Deposits (FDs), with the interest sustaining her financial needs. The older daughter, in 5th grade, still struggles with her father’s loss. Memories trigger tears and, at times, cause her to lose consciousness during treatment for epilepsy.

The family continues to grapple with the impact of these tragic events. “I reached out to the cyber police and registered a case. I earnestly appeal to the government and higher police officials for urgent assistance. The demise of my husband has left us in profound shock. My daughter’s sickness and associated expenses have rendered us helpless,” she said. “We have registered a case under relevant sections of the IT Act. The investigation is underway,” said an officer from cyber police.

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