Bengaluru techie duped of Rs 2.80 crore with 'free mobile gift' scam

A Bengaluru software engineer lost ₹2.80 crore after cyber fraudsters posing as bank representatives lured him with a free credit card and gifted him a malicious phone. They accessed his accounts using cloning software. Police are investigating the case registered under cybercrime laws.

A chilling case of cyber fraud has surfaced in Whitefield, Bengaluru, where a software engineer, Debashish Roy, lost Rs 2.80 crore to scammers who posed as private bank representatives. The fraudsters lured him with the promise of a free credit card and gifted him a mobile phone preloaded with malicious software to execute their crime.  

The ordeal began on November 27 when Debashish received a WhatsApp call from an individual identifying himself as Mohit Jain, a representative of City Union Bank. The caller informed him that he was eligible for a free credit card and instructed him to visit an Airtel store to purchase a new SIM card for activation.   

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On December 1, the scammers took their deception a step further. They sent a Redmi 13C mobile phone to Debashish’s home, claiming it was a gift from the bank. Following their instructions, Debashish inserted the new SIM card into the mobile, activated it, and uploaded his information as directed. However, no confirmation emails or messages were received, raising suspicion.  

Sensing something amiss, Debashish visited his bank on December 5 to check his account status. To his horror, he discovered that Rs 2.80 crore had been siphoned off from his two bank accounts in multiple transactions.  

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Investigations revealed that the scammers had installed cloning software and other malicious applications on the gifted mobile phone. As Debashish activated the phone and inserted the SIM card, the fraudsters gained control of his device. This enabled them to access his sensitive banking information and transfer money to their accounts.  

A case has been registered at the Whitefield Cyber Crime Police Station under Section 66(c) of the IT Act and Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the BNS. The police are actively investigating the matter to trace the perpetrators.