Gwalior: A 29-year-old man from the Kampoo police station area of Gwalior was allegedly duped of ₹1,06,170 in a cyber fraud carried out in the name of cancelling a credit card protection service. The fraudster posed as a bank representative, convinced the victim that a cyber fraud card protection service had been activated on his credit card and sent him a link to complete an online form. The money was withdrawn from the credit card after the victim clicked the link. Following a complaint, police registered a case against unidentified suspects and began an investigation with assistance from the cyber cell.
The victim, Javed Khan, a resident of the SAF Lines area, received a call from an unknown number on the evening of August 14. The caller introduced himself as a representative of Axis Bank and told Javed that a ‘Cyber Fraud Card Protection Service’ had been activated on his credit card. He claimed that a monthly charge would be deducted for the service.
Javed told the caller that he wanted to cancel the service. The fraudster then claimed that the cancellation process could be completed online. Shortly afterwards, another mobile number sent a link to Javed through WhatsApp and text messages. He was told that he needed to open the link and fill out an online form to deactivate the service.
Believing that he was dealing with a bank representative, Javed clicked the link. Soon after beginning the process, he received a transaction alert showing that ₹1,06,170 had been debited from his credit card. The victim realised that he had been defrauded and immediately contacted the bank’s customer care service to block the card.
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Javed also reported the incident through the national cybercrime helpline number 1930 and subsequently approached the police. Kampoo police registered a case against unidentified persons on the basis of an electronic first information report and launched an investigation.
The cyber cell is examining the mobile numbers used by the fraudsters, the link sent to the victim and the digital transactions associated with the fraud. Investigators are trying to determine which bank account or digital payment channel received the stolen money and whether the amount was subsequently transferred to other accounts.
The cyber investigation team is also examining the bank accounts linked to the transaction. Police are working to identify the account holders who received the ₹1.06 lakh and establish whether the accounts were used as part of a wider fraud network. The mobile numbers used to contact the victim are also being subjected to technical analysis to trace the suspects.
Investigators are examining the fraudulent link to determine the domain, server and infrastructure used to operate it. Police are also checking whether the same link or method was used to target other victims. The transaction trail and mobile number analysis are expected to help investigators identify the people involved in the fraud.
The incident highlights how cybercriminals are increasingly using banking and card-related services to gain the trust of potential victims. Customers should avoid clicking links received from unknown numbers for cancelling or activating financial services. Any request related to credit cards or banking services should be verified through the bank’s official customer care channels or official digital platforms.
