A Kashipur resident was allegedly cheated of ₹29.22 lakh after fraudsters impersonating Punjab National Bank officials sent him a fake mobile application through WhatsApp and used it to access his banking details. The money was withdrawn through nine IMPS and RTGS transactions between June 6 and June 7, prompting a cyber police investigation.
Caller Posed As Bank Official
According to the complaint, the victim, Sudesh Kumar of Jaspur Khurd in Udham Singh Nagar, holds a joint account at the PNB Mata Mandir Road branch in Kashipur. On June 6, he received a call from an unknown number, with the caller claiming to be a bank official.
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The caller allegedly told him that an update was required for smooth account functioning and asked him to install a mobile application named “PNB One” for verification. A file resembling an official banking app was then sent to him through WhatsApp.
The victim was allegedly guided through the process of entering banking and personal details. Although the app did not work properly at first, the caller continued to pressure him to complete the procedure.
Nine Transactions Drain Account
After some time, Sudesh Kumar became suspicious and closed the application. However, by then, his sensitive banking information had allegedly been compromised.
Within hours, transaction alerts began appearing on his mobile phone. A bank statement later showed that nine unauthorized transactions had been carried out through IMPS and RTGS modes.
The transactions, executed between June 6 and June 7, transferred a total of ₹29.22 lakh to multiple unknown accounts. The victim then contacted the bank and got his account frozen.
Cyber Police Trace Digital Trail
The victim also lodged a complaint on the national cybercrime helpline number 1930. The matter was later forwarded to the Cyber Crime Police Station, Kumaon Range, Rudrapur, for investigation.
Cyber police officials suspect that the fraud involved a fake application and WhatsApp-based social engineering to gain access to the victim’s mobile device and banking credentials. Investigators are examining transaction records, mobile numbers and linked bank accounts to trace the accused.
Authorities have urged people not to install apps or share banking details through WhatsApp links, unknown calls or unsolicited messages. Customers have been advised to verify banking communication only through official bank branches or verified helplines.
