In a case of cyber fraud, unknown scammers siphoned ₹2.80 lakh from local farmer Sudhakar Rai’s bank account through 19 successive withdrawals. The theft, carried out after a deceptive WhatsApp call, has prompted Rai to file a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell, sparking a police investigation.
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Fake Telecom Officials Trigger a Mobile Hook
Rai, a resident of Bhati village under Sikandarpur police jurisdiction, maintains an account at the Central Bank of India, Sikandarpur branch. On June 23, he reportedly received a WhatsApp call from a person posing as a telecom company representative, offering to upgrade his SIM from 4G to 5G. Although he refused initially and cut the call, several subsequent calls followed. That evening, Rai’s mobile network inexplicably went down .
Unaware of the breach due to his busy schedule tending fields, Rai visited a local Jio service center five days later, where he learned his Aadhaar had been locked and an e‑SIM activated on the same number. Concerned, he confirmed the change at an Aadhaar service center. A subsequent bank visit revealed 19 unauthorized withdrawals totaling ₹2.80 lakh from his account .
The Mechanics of Modern Cyber Heists
Police suspect the fraudsters used social engineering techniques—posing as telecom personnel—to gain control over Rai’s phone number. Once they activated a SIM swap, they likely accessed his bank’s OTP‑based authentication to authorize transfers. These rapid-fire withdrawals reflect a rising trend of SIM swap-based hacks targeting rural, digitally unaware users.
Cybersecurity analysts see this as part of a wave of “digital arrest” and SIM hijacking scams plaguing India. Unlike urban victims or wealthy professionals, rural account holders like Rai are often slower to notice suspicious activity, allowing fraudsters to exhaust accounts before detection.
Response and Preventive Measures
Rai filed a formal complaint with the Cyber Cell on June 28, and local police have launched an investigation. They are coordinating with telecom providers and the bank to trace the e‑SIM issuance and identify the perpetrators.
Security experts urge the public to enable mobile SIM‑swap protection and bank-level two-factor authentication. They also recommend that telecom firms notify users via secondary channels before issuing new SIMs or porting numbers.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.