Amroha, Uttar Pradesh — Recent incidents in the northern Indian district of Amroha have highlighted the vulnerabilities of India’s rapidly expanding digital economy. Cybercriminals have managed to empty bank accounts without sending links or OTPs, leaving victims stunned and authorities scrambling.
A New Modus Operandi
Investigators say the perpetrators exploited public registry websites to obtain sensitive information, including Aadhaar numbers and fingerprint records. These documents, which contain the identities of buyers and sellers, were often accessible without robust security. Using this data, criminals created fake biometric clones and, with the help of local mobile SIM vendors, issued cloned SIM cards for their victims.
Through these cloned numbers, the cybercriminals activated online banking and siphoned off significant sums within days.
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Personal Stories, Widespread Impact
In August, Samarpal Singh, a block coordinator from the village of Naugawan Sadat, discovered that ₹9 lakh had been withdrawn from his account after his mobile SIM, inactive for eight days, was reactivated. Similar incidents affected:
- Jahid Hussain from Guldiya, ₹1.63 lakh
- Shah Alam, a local trader, ₹88,000
- Sarfraz from Mau Maychak, ₹3.73 lakh
In all cases, victims reported receiving no OTPs or suspicious links—only alerts that funds had been withdrawn.
Authorities Express Concern
“This is not traditional phishing,” said Jitendra Balyan, head of the local cyber police. “Criminals are stealing identities from public records, cloning biometrics, and using cloned SIMs to directly access bank accounts. It’s highly organised and sophisticated.”
Expert Warnings
Cybersecurity expert and former IPS officer Professor Triveni Singh emphasised that these incidents signal a serious threat to India’s digital infrastructure.
“Cybercriminals are always a step ahead of technology. The combination of SIM cloning and biometric theft to conduct transactions without OTPs is alarming. Unless government portals and identity-based services implement robust protections, such cases will only rise,” he said.
Professor Singh urged citizens to lock their Aadhaar biometrics and use Virtual IDs (VIDs), while calling on banks and government agencies to implement immediate and substantial data security measures.
A Test of Trust
Amroha’s cases are not isolated. As mobile and digital payments expand rapidly in India, cybercriminals are finding increasingly sophisticated ways to exploit weaknesses. While the government celebrates the successes of Digital India, incidents like these underscore the fragility of the systems on which millions rely.
