Another instance why you should not reveal card details over phone

In yet another instance of cyber fraud in the city, a 52year-old man from Ghatkopar was duped of nearly Rs 3 lakh by an unknown person. The accused withdrew the victim’s money from his bank account through online shopping, PayTm etc.

The victim, Arun Kamble, a resident of Nalanda, Ghatkopar, received a phone call from an unknown person on March 29 asking for his personal details. The accused claimed he was calling from Kamble’s bank and wanted his personal details including the PIN number of his ATM card.

According to Kamble, initially he refused to give his details on the phone and insisted the caller come to the bank but was threatened. “He told me that it was the end of the financial year and all employees are busy. The person also said that if I did not provide my details at the earliest, my account would be blocked.”

Kamble not only gave his bank and ATM card details, he also revealed the pin number, after which the accused told him that he would receive a One Time Password (OTP).

“I was told that I would receive a SMS containing an OTP and accordingly I received such OTPs for more than a week. As instructed by them, I called him every time I received an OTP and informed him about the same. I did not suspect anything wrong,” Kamble told the police.

On April 8 Kamble learnt that his ATM card was blocked. “After learning that my ATM card was blocked I refused to provide further details. The minute I refused to provide further details, the person on the phone line abused me and even threatened me with dire consequences,” Kamble has said before the police.

Kamble went to the bank and got the shock of his life after he was informed that his account was depleted. “From Rs 4 lakh my lifetime savings were reduced to mere Rs 90,000,” Kamble said.

Pant Nagar police have registered an FIR under charges of criminal intimidation, fraud and forgery against the unknown person. The police have also invoked relevant sections of the Information and Technology Act. Investigations are on.