A doctor in Kanpur was allegedly cheated of ₹21.29 lakh after cybercriminals posing as bank representatives persuaded him to click a link for a purported video KYC process and enable screen sharing. The fraudsters allegedly captured confidential details from three credit cards and used them to carry out multiple transactions.
Credit Card Offer Used to Gain Trust
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on July 8 between noon and 1 pm. The victim, Dr. Sanjeev Rohtagi, a resident of Divinity Homes in Indira Nagar, Kalyanpur, received a phone call from a person claiming to be a bank official.
The caller offered him a new credit card with additional benefits and said a video Know Your Customer verification was required to complete the process. The fraudsters later contacted him through WhatsApp and sent a link described as part of the bank’s official KYC procedure.
After opening the link, the doctor was prompted to allow screen sharing. Believing the request to be genuine, he granted permission. The accused then allegedly accessed sensitive information visible on his mobile screen, including confidential credit card details.
Three Credit Cards Used for Multiple Transactions
Police said the fraudsters carried out several transactions using the victim’s three credit cards. An amount of ₹4,58,893 was allegedly taken from the first card, ₹10.50 lakh from the second and ₹6,20,354 from the third.
The combined loss was ₹21,29,247. The doctor became aware of the fraud after receiving transaction alerts and subsequently approached the police.
A case has been registered, and investigators are examining call records, WhatsApp numbers, banking transactions, IP logs and other digital evidence. Police are also seeking information from the bank and payment service providers to trace the movement of the money and identify the accounts used in the transactions.
Police Warn Against Screen-Sharing Requests
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said fraudsters often impersonate bank officials and use screen-sharing or remote-access methods to obtain banking and card information. He said legitimate banks do not ask customers to share their screens or open unknown KYC links sent through calls or WhatsApp messages.
Customers have been advised not to disclose OTPs, CVV numbers, card details or internet banking credentials to unknown callers. Banking-related requests should be verified only through the institution’s official website, mobile application or branch.
Police have urged people to remain alert to calls and messages offering credit card upgrades, reward points, video KYC or account verification. Victims have been advised to report such incidents immediately through the National Cyber Helpline at 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, as early reporting may help freeze suspicious accounts and improve the chances of recovery.
