Chandigarh: As digital banking and online transactions continue to expand rapidly, cyber fraud cases are emerging in increasingly sophisticated forms. In a fresh incident reported from Chandigarh, an advocate associated with the Punjab and Haryana High Court was allegedly cheated of ₹85,000 by a woman who posed as a bank employee over a phone call. Following the complaint, cyber police registered a case against unidentified persons and launched an investigation. Preliminary findings suggest the fraudsters may have used social engineering tactics to obtain sensitive banking information from the victim.
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Fake Bank Call Used to Gain Trust
According to details shared in the complaint, advocate Kirpal Singh Thakur, a resident of Sector 38, received a call on October 8, 2025, from an unknown number. The caller allegedly introduced herself as an employee of a private bank located in Sector 37. During the conversation, she reportedly spoke about banking procedures, account security, and verification updates in an attempt to gain the victim’s trust. Soon after the interaction, ₹85,000 was allegedly withdrawn fraudulently from Thakur’s bank account.
The complainant said he became suspicious after receiving transaction alerts on his mobile phone. He subsequently contacted the concerned bank and sought reversal of the transactions along with recovery of the amount. Sources indicated that he remained in touch with bank officials since November 2025 regarding the issue, but no satisfactory resolution was reached for several months. Eventually, he approached the cyber police station and submitted a formal complaint along with transaction records and related banking documents.
Cyber Police Trace Money Trail
Following preliminary verification, cyber police registered a case against unidentified accused persons. Investigators are now examining mobile numbers, bank accounts, digital payment channels, and the money trail linked to the suspicious transactions. Authorities are trying to determine where the funds were transferred and whether the case is connected to a larger organised cyber fraud network. Officials believe such fraudsters frequently exploit fake KYC updates, card blocking alerts, banking verification calls, and reward redemption offers to deceive victims.
Cyber crime experts say even educated professionals are increasingly falling prey to such scams because fraudsters carefully manipulate trust and urgency during conversations. Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said, “Cyber criminals are now relying more on social engineering than technical hacking. They impersonate bank officials, government representatives, or customer care executives to obtain OTPs, card details, screen-sharing access, and other sensitive information. A small mistake can empty a bank account within minutes.”
Public Warned Against Sharing Banking Details
Experts have advised people not to share banking credentials during unsolicited calls. Banks never ask customers for OTPs, CVV numbers, internet banking passwords, or UPI PINs through phone calls or messages. Citizens have also been urged to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a bank employee through official customer care numbers before taking any action. Experts further warned against clicking suspicious links, downloading screen-sharing applications, or contacting unverified customer support numbers found online.
Cyber police have appealed to the public to immediately report online financial fraud through the national cyber helpline 1930 so that suspicious transactions can be frozen at the earliest stage. Investigators said the first few hours after a cyber fraud are extremely crucial, and prompt reporting significantly improves the chances of fund recovery. Police teams are currently working to identify the accused and trace the movement of the stolen money through various financial channels.
