Kolkata Orthopaedic surgeon loses Rs 4.5 lakh in the name of PAN Card update

Kolkata: In a distressing turn of events, an orthopaedic surgeon in the city was duped of Rs 4.5 lakh on Saturday afternoon. The perpetrators employed a modus operandi to execute their fake scheme by pretending to be an employee of Bandhan Bank, leaving the victim grappling with financial loss. 

The unfortunate incident unfolded when the surgeon received an anonymous call, purportedly from an employee of Bandhan Bank. The caller, pretending to be a bank representative, cunningly made the victim reveal his personal information, including his PAN card number, under the pretext of verifying his savings account details within the same financial institution.  

“I got a call from 6370919593 & 9064237792 numbers and the person on the other side of the line told me that he would verify my Bandhan Bank A/C. No ……….0040. I disclosed my PAN No, & date of birth to the caller. Soon after, Rs 4.5 lakh was deducted from my Bandhan Bank account. I got the call about 2.30 pm today (6/4/24). Hence, I would like to request you to take necessary action as per law,” the complaint lodged by the doctor with the Survey Park police station stated.

Pralay Bhattacharjee, officer-in-charge of Survey Park thana told The Statesman," Yes, a complaint has been lodged by a doctor, a resident of Santoshpur Road, with our police station on 6 April. With the guidance of the cybercrime specialists at Lalbazar, our team is investigating the case and we hope that the entire amount will be recovered and given back to the complainant." 

Cybercrime experts, in collaboration with police, underscored the evolving nature of such scams, with culprits assuming the guise of bank officials to perpetrate their fraudulent activities. According to the police, a prevalent strategy employed by these fraudsters involves sending text messages to unsuspecting consumers, inducing panic, and making recipients hastily click on dubious links purportedly for updating PAN card details. They send text messages to the consumers saying, “Your bank account will be suspended today. Please update your PAN number, click here link… Thank you.” 

Following the disheartening ordeal, the surgeon promptly lodged a complaint with the Survey Park police station upon receiving three alarming messages from a reputable private bank, wherein he holds an account. Swift action by the concerned bank officials resulted in the immediate blocking of the compromised funds, stopping any attempts by the cyber culprits to siphon off money. Although the culprits have been identified, police remain tight-lipped regarding further details pertaining to their operational tactics and areas of activity, citing the ongoing investigative process, reports the Daily. 

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