Maldives Consul in Mumbai Files Cyber Fraud Complaint Over Rs 4.59 Lakh Theft
In a significant cybercrime incident, Bobby Mohanty (57), the honorary consul for Maldives in Mumbai, has lodged a formal complaint with the Juhu police. The complaint alleges that cyber fraudsters illicitly used a credit card issued by a foreign bank to execute a fund transfer of Rs 4.59 lakh in Jakarta during October 2025.
Allegations of Bank Inaction and Harassment
Mohanty has accused the bank of failing to act despite timely alerts and complaints regarding the fraudulent transaction. He further claimed that the bank subjected him to harassment by imposing finance charges and penalties for transactions he did not authorize, actions he says have damaged his CIBIL score credentials.
Based on Mohanty's complaint, the Juhu police have registered an FIR against an unknown person. Mohanty has urged the police to interrogate bank staff, suspecting their potential involvement in the compromise of his card data.
Details of the Fraudulent Incident
The fraud occurred while Mohanty was aboard a Delhi-Mumbai flight. "The transaction was immediately reported to the bank by my wife, Sanghamitra Mohanty, upon receipt of the email alert, and subsequently reconfirmed by me upon landing at Mumbai airport, with clear instructions to block the transaction," Mohanty stated.
He expressed frustration over the bank's lack of response, noting, "Despite timely reporting and the suspicious nature of a high-value international transaction, the bank failed to verify, flag, or halt the transaction."
Police Investigation and Legal Actions
A Juhu police officer confirmed that a case has been filed for cheating and forgery, along with charges under the IT Act for identity theft and impersonation against an unknown individual. The cyber team is set to summon bank staff to gather more details.
"Mohanty has submitted the flight ticket which he used in Oct to fly to Delhi along with the complaints he has submitted to the RBI ombudsman. The cyber team is gathering details from the bank to find out why they did not flag off the transactions when complaints were made and they were asked to block them," the officer explained.
Bank's Partial Reversal and Further Allegations
After repeated correspondence, the bank reversed 50% of the transaction, amounting to Rs 2.29 lakh, approximately 40 days after the incident. Mohanty views this as an admission of fraud. "Possibility of internal involvement and collusion of employees with external fraudsters cannot be ruled out and warrants an independent investigation," he asserted.
He also highlighted that correspondence with the RBI ombudsman and the RBI Governor has been unsuccessful. "The bank has wrongfully fastened liability on the cardholder, including levying charges on the disputed amount and issuing threats of adverse reporting to CIBIL for non-payment," Mohanty added.
