Cyber Crime
13 Year Old Palghar Teen Outsmarts Cyber Fraudster, Earns Police Praise
A quick-witted 13-year-old from Nalasopara outsmarted a cyber fraudster trying to dupe her with fake money transfer messages. Despite the scammer’s efforts, she managed to expose the fraud and alerted the police, who are now on the case.
MUMBAI: In an extraordinary display of quick thinking, 13-year-old Harshada Goyal from Nalasopara outsmarted a cyber fraudster who tried to swindle her family. This young girl not only foiled the scam but also played a crucial role in helping the police register a case against the fraudster.
The incident unfolded on a seemingly ordinary Tuesday when Harshada was home alone. Her father was at work, and her mother, Megha, was out shopping. Suddenly, her mother’s phone rang, and Harshada answered. The caller, who introduced himself as Ashok Sharma, claimed he owed her father Rs 15,000 and had been given Megha’s number for the transfer.
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Harshada, unsuspecting at first, agreed and received a message confirming the supposed transfer of Rs 10,000. Moments later, another message arrived, this time stating that Rs 50,000 had been transferred, supposedly by mistake. Sharma, playing the part of a concerned sender, requested Harshada to transfer the excess Rs 45,000 back to him.
But Harshada’s sharp instincts kicked in. Sensing something fishy, she checked her mother’s bank account and discovered that no money had been deposited. She informed Sharma that she was putting her father on a conference call to verify his identity. The scammer, desperate to avoid this, insisted she needed to act fast for more transfers.
Realizing she was dealing with a fraudster, Harshada threatened to call her father again. The scammer’s persistence only solidified her suspicions.
“I realised he was a fraud after I checked my mother’s bank account online,” said Harshada. “The police had given a lecture in our school about cyber frauds and their methods, due to which I knew something was wrong.”
Thinking on her feet, Harshada put the scammer on hold and called the police from her neighbor’s phone, recording the entire conversation. The fraudster, unaware, continued trying to convince her to transfer the Rs 45,000.
The Nalasopara police, impressed by Harshada’s quick-wit and intelligence, booked the fraudster based on her statement and the call recording. “We are tracing the fraud based on the mobile phone from which Harshada received the call,” said a police officer from Nalasopara police station.
In an era where cyber fraud is rampant, Harshada Goyal stands as a shining example of awareness and vigilance, proving that even a 13-year-old can outsmart the trickiest of fraudsters.
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