A 35-year-old jeweller from Usmanpura has alleged that cybercriminals cheated him of Rs 83.3 lakh after fraudulently taking control of his registered SIM card and accessing his net banking account.
According to the complaint registered with the cybercrime police on Friday, the businessman runs a jewellery showroom on CG Road and uses a company bank account at a private bank for business transactions. The mobile number linked to the account was used to receive OTPs and debit-credit alerts. The account also had a cash credit limit of about Rs 14 crore.
How the Fraud Unfolded
The complaint states that on May 30, after around 7:15 pm, his SIM stopped working while he was in Ayodhya. “I thought it was a network problem,” he said. He added that he removed and reinserted the SIM, but it did not restore the network connection. He continued using WhatsApp through Wi-Fi.
The complainant stated that on June 1, when his accountant tried to generate the bank account statement, an OTP was required, but it could not be received because the mobile network was unavailable. After returning to Ahmedabad the next day, the complainant visited a telecom store and was allegedly told, “Your mobile number has been closed on the basis of your request.” The complainant said, “I informed the bank that I had not given any request to block the SIM.” He was issued a new SIM after identity verification, and it became active soon after.
Unauthorised Transactions Detected
Later, when the complainant checked the bank statement, he found that multiple unauthorised transactions had taken place between June 1 and 2. Initially, nine transactions totalling Rs 33.8 lakh were identified. While steps were being taken to transfer the remaining funds to another bank account, seven more transactions worth Rs 49.4 lakh were allegedly carried out. The complaint states that “an unknown person entered the net banking system and transferred the money to unidentified bank accounts while the SIM was inactive. The transactions of June 1 and 2 were not made by my staff or by me,” he states.
Legal Action Taken
A complaint was registered for criminal conspiracy, stolen property and cheating under the BNS and the IT Act.
