Fake HDFC Bank executive call costs Delhi resident Rs 1 lakh, two held in cyber fraud case
New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS) A fake call from a person posing as an HDFC Bank executive proved costly for a Delhi resident, leading to the fraudulent use of his credit card and a loss of more than Rs 1 lakh.
The Cyber Police Station of East District has cracked the case and arrested two accused allegedly involved in the cyber fraud syndicate.
According to East District Police, the case pertains to unauthorised transactions worth Rs 1,00,629 made through the victim’s HDFC Bank credit card. Following a detailed technical and financial investigation, the police arrested two accused and recovered two mobile phones used in the commission of the offence. Investigators have also identified the involvement of another accused, who remains absconding, and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend him.
The case was registered at Police Station Cyber, East District, vide FIR No. 96/2025 under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The complainant, Rajkumar, a resident of New Ashok Nagar in Delhi, approached the police after discovering that Rs 1,00,629 had been debited from his HDFC Bank credit card through multiple unauthorised transactions. During the investigation, it emerged that the victim had received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as an HDFC Bank executive and offered to enhance the complainant’s credit card limit.
Believing the caller to be genuine, the victim shared confidential banking and credit card-related information. Shortly thereafter, several unauthorised transactions were carried out using the card, resulting in a financial loss exceeding Rs 1 lakh.
To crack the case, a dedicated police team comprising SI Rinki and Head Constables Paras and Kuldeep was constituted under the direction of PS Cyber East SHO, Inspector Pawan Yadav. The investigation was conducted under the close supervision of ACP/Operations, East District, Pavan Kumar.
Through sustained technical surveillance, financial analysis and examination of digital evidence, the investigating team identified and apprehended two accused, Vicky Mehta, 43, a resident of Om Vihar, Uttam Nagar, West Delhi, and Chitrasen Tripathi, 33, a resident of Mohan Garden, Uttam Nagar.
Police investigation revealed that the fraudulently obtained money was used to purchase gold coins online through the victim’s compromised credit card. The purchased gold coins were delivered to an address in Mohan Garden, Uttam Nagar. During the probe, it was found that fake SIM cards had been used to register the online order and facilitate the delivery process.
Investigators traced the SIM card used in the fraudulent transactions and found that it was registered in the name of Mehta. Police alleged that Mehta was involved in arranging and selling SIM cards for illegal purposes. During questioning, it was revealed that such SIM cards were allegedly sold for around Rs 1,000 each and were later misused in cyber fraud activities.
Further investigation established that Tripathi had received the delivery of the gold coins purchased using the victim’s credit card details. Police said Tripathi was an active participant in the fraud syndicate and played a key role in facilitating the receipt of goods obtained through fraudulent transactions.
The probe further revealed that both arrested accused were working in association with another co-accused who allegedly contacted victims while impersonating bank officials, extracted sensitive banking credentials, and carried out fraudulent online purchases. Police teams are conducting raids and pursuing leads to trace the absconding accused and uncover the full network behind the cyber fraud operation.
Both accused were arrested on August 1, in accordance with legal procedures. Further investigation is underway to recover the cheated amount, identify additional beneficiaries and establish links to other cyber fraud cases.
As part of a public advisory, East District Police urged citizens to remain vigilant against cyber fraud. Police emphasised that banks never ask customers to share OTPs, CVV numbers, PINs or complete card details over phone calls, WhatsApp messages, or SMS. Citizens have been advised not to disclose confidential banking information to unknown callers, even if they claim to represent a bank or financial institution. People should verify such requests through official customer care numbers, enable transaction alerts and regularly monitor their bank and credit card statements. Any suspicious transaction should be reported immediately to the bank and the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
–IANS
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