Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 16 December 2023
In a concerning incident, an Assistant Engineer of Military Engineering Service (MES), reported a substantial online financial fraud totalling Rs. 5,20,000. The AE detailed the fraudulent events that transpired, leading to unauthorised transactions in his complaint.
The AE recounted receiving an unexpected call from an unidentified number, allegedly representing SBI Fort William. The caller, posing as a bank employee, raised concerns regarding his Aadhar details not being updated within the bank’s records. Acknowledging his current location in Port Blair, Andaman, the AE provided his official address upon the caller’s request.
The imposter assured the AE of dispatching a new ATM card, advising that a postman from Junglighat would contact him for its delivery. Subsequently, the caller delved further, inquiring about Yono app and requested sensitive information to purportedly update transaction limits. Falling prey to the ruse, the AE shared his Yono App Username, Password, and Profile password upon request.
The deception escalated as the imposter coerced the AE into divulging multiple One-Time Passwords (OTPs), purportedly to increase the credit limit. Unbeknownst to the AE, these OTPs facilitated unauthorised transactions. Shortly after complying, he received notifications of a Rs. 20,000 ATM withdrawal and the staggering transfer of Rs. 5,00,000 to an unknown account through his compromised Yono app.
Realising the deception, the AE filed a complaint with the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), seeking legal recourse against the cyber fraudsters.
The Assistant Engineer’s grievous loss serves as a stark reminder of the perils of online fraud and the importance of safeguarding sensitive financial information.