A 42-year-old employee of Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (GETCO) has filed a complaint with the Rajkot Rural cybercrime police after being defrauded of more than Rs 5.18 lakh by individuals impersonating bank customer care executives. The fraudsters deceived him into disclosing his credit card information under the pretext of canceling a Card Protection Plan (CPP).
Details of the Fraud
The complainant, Ketan Dholakia, works as a lineman at GETCO’s Metoda GIDC unit. According to his complaint, unidentified persons posing as Axis Bank customer care officials orchestrated the scam. One of the fraudsters identified herself as “Priya Sharma”.
On April 3, Dholakia received a call from a woman who introduced herself as “Priyanka” from Axis Bank customer care. She informed him that a CPP service with an annual charge of Rs 2,499 had been activated on his credit card. When Dholakia denied subscribing to the service, she stated that another executive would assist him with the cancellation.
Shortly thereafter, another caller, identifying herself as “Priya Sharma”, contacted him from a different number. She claimed that his existing credit card needed to be replaced to deactivate the service.
How the Fraudsters Obtained His Details
The fraudsters guided Dholakia through procedures on the CRED application. Under the pretense of completing video and audio KYC formalities, they obtained his banking details. Believing the callers to be genuine bank representatives, Dholakia followed their instructions.
On April 6, while reviewing his transaction history on the CRED app, he noticed multiple unauthorized transactions across credit cards linked to four banks.
Financial Loss
According to police, the accused withdrew the following amounts from his cards:
- Rs 97,850 from his Axis Bank card
- Rs 77,250 from his HDFC Bank card
- Rs 1.47 lakh from his ICICI Bank card
- Rs 2,95,813 from his SBI card
The total fraud amount amounts to Rs 5.18 lakh.
Action Taken by the Victim
After discovering the fraud, Dholakia contacted the banks and blocked all four cards. He also reported the matter to the national cybercrime helpline, 1930, before lodging a police complaint.
Police Investigation
Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act. Investigators are analyzing call records, WhatsApp communications, and banking transaction trails to trace the accused.
