Ludhiana doctor falls victim to Rs 11.42 lakh cyber fraud
Cyber Crime
Ludhiana: In yet another alarming case of cyber fraud, a doctor from Ludhiana fell victim to a well-orchestrated financial scam, losing a staggering Rs 11.42 lakh after being tricked into sharing his credit card details via a WhatsApp link.
The scam not only wiped out his bank accounts but also compromised his phone for nearly five days.
The doctor, originally from Odisha and currently residing in Bhamian Kalan, works at a private hospital in the city. According to his complaint, the ordeal began on August 15, when he received a call from an individual claiming to be a representative of a private bank. The fraudster, in a well-orchestrated attempt to gain trust, even spoke with the doctor’s Head of Department, asserting that there was a technical glitch involving the enhancement of the doctor’s credit card limit due to an issue with his CIBIL score.
The fraudster then shared a WhatsApp link with the doctor and convinced him to enter his credit card details to “resolve” the supposed issue. Shortly after submitting the information, the doctor’s phone was compromised. Unbeknownst to him, calls were diverted, effectively cutting him off from bank alerts and communication for nearly five days.
Over the next five days, the fraudster siphoned off a total of ₹11.42 lakh from Dr Samal’s two bank accounts.
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According to the Hindustan Times, “The fraudsters were so cunning that they even called me back, pretending to be from customer care, and assured me that my complaint had already been forwarded to the cybercrime,” Dr Samal said.
A case has been registered at the Cybercrime Police Station against unidentified individuals. Investigating Officer ASI Bhupinder Singh stated that the accused’s bank accounts have been frozen, and nearly ₹2 lakh has been recovered so far. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he added, “Efforts are on to recover the remaining amount and nab the culprits,” he added.
Also Read: Thane doctor duped of Rs 3.47 crore- Here's what happened
Meanwhile, Ludhiana police have once again urged the public to remain vigilant and refrain from sharing personal banking details or clicking on suspicious links received via phone calls or messaging apps.
