Cybercrooks drain Mumbai traffic constable’s R2 lakh savings in OTP scam
The officer discovered the fraud when he visited his bank and found his account balance completely wiped out. Representation pic/istock
A head constable attached to the Jogeshwari Traffic Division of the Mumbai Police has fallen victim to a cyber fraud after scammers allegedly siphoned off his entire salary and savings from his bank account. The officer, who resides in the Worli Police Colony, discovered the fraud when he visited his bank and found his account balance completely wiped out.
According to police sources, the 43-year-old complainant works in the city’s traffic department and lives with his family in Worli. On October 7, he had visited an ATM kiosk near Bengal Chemicals, Century Bazaar, to withdraw cash. However, after entering his PIN, the screen repeatedly displayed an “incorrect PIN” message. Assuming it was a technical glitch, he left the kiosk.
The next day, October 8, he went to his bank’s Worli branch to inquire about the issue. To his shock, bank officials informed him that his salary account had been drained. His previous statement showed that as of October 4, the account had a balance of Rs 2,02,000. On checking his mobile messages, the constable realised that on October 5, he had received an OTP message, followed by another on October 6 linked to a Rs 2 lakh withdrawal, and a third for R2000. That’s when he understood that his account had been compromised and the money transferred without his consent.
With the help of bank officials, he traced the recipient account to a person identified as Abdul Razak. He then lodged a complaint at the Worli police station. Based on his statement, police registered an FIR under sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, against an unidentified accused.
An officer from Worli police said the fraudsters are suspected to have accessed the victim’s account through net banking or mobile banking. “We are tracking the money trail and analysing the digital evidence to identify those behind the transaction,” the officer said. Officials added that the case highlights how even law enforcement personnel are not immune to cybercrime, and urged citizens to remain cautious while using online banking services or sharing OTPs.
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