Mathura: Cyber fraudsters allegedly posing as bank employees duped a government veterinary officer of ₹536,000 after luring him into a fake signature update process for a joint bank account. The accused reportedly obtained sensitive banking information through a WhatsApp call before siphoning ₹390,000 from a government cowshed account and making online purchases worth ₹146,000 using the victim’s credit card. A case has been registered at the Cyber Police Station, and an investigation is underway.
According to police, Dr. Kapilesh Mohan Varshney, a resident of Chandanvan in Mathura’s Highway police station area, is posted as a Veterinary Officer at the Shivala Veterinary Hospital in Khair block of Aligarh district. A government-run cowshed in Sujanpur village under his jurisdiction receives public funds for fodder, feed and other operational expenses. The cowshed’s joint bank account is maintained at an Axis Bank branch in Masudabad, Aligarh.
Officials said the joint account was undergoing a process to update the authorised signatures following the appointment of a new Gram Panchayat Secretary. On July 8, the cowshed assistant reportedly received a WhatsApp call from a person claiming to be an Axis Bank employee. The caller assured them that the signature update process would be completed and subsequently contacted the veterinary officer, persuading him to share banking-related information required for the alleged verification. The fraudster reportedly promised that the signature update would be completed the following day.
According to the complaint, on July 10 the victim began receiving multiple OTP and transaction alerts on his mobile phone. Before he could react, ₹390,000 had already been withdrawn from the cowshed’s bank account. In addition, the fraudsters allegedly misused his credit card to make online purchases worth ₹146,000, taking the total financial loss to ₹536,000.
After discovering the fraud, Dr. Varshney immediately contacted the bank’s customer care service to block both the bank account and the credit card. He also lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) before filing a formal complaint with the Cyber Police Station. Police said investigators are analysing digital transaction records, banking data and call details to identify those responsible and expressed confidence that technical evidence would help trace the accused.
Meanwhile, Mathura Police have adopted a new strategy to strengthen their fight against cybercrime across the district. A special verification drive is being carried out in 14 villages across Govardhan, Kosi Kalan, Barsana and Shergarh police station areas. As part of the campaign, police are creating digital profiles of suspected individuals by collecting Aadhaar details, PAN information, mobile numbers and voice samples. Investigators believe that since cybercriminals typically communicate through phone or WhatsApp calls, voice samples could play a crucial role in identifying offenders during future investigations. Around 4,500 people have already been verified under the campaign.
Police further said that during a special search operation conducted in the same 14 villages on July 7, authorities arrested 45 suspected cyber fraudsters. Nearly 200 cybercrime suspects have been proceeded against so far, while about 50 wanted accused remain under surveillance. Each of them carries a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to their arrest.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said cybercriminals frequently impersonate bank officials, government employees or service providers to gain the trust of victims. He advised the public never to share OTPs, CVV numbers, ATM PINs, internet banking passwords or card details over phone calls, WhatsApp messages or video calls. In the event of any suspicious banking activity, he urged customers to immediately contact their bank, secure their accounts and report the incident without delay through the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or the nearest Cyber Police Station.
