Bank Manager Falls Victim To Cyber-Fraud Scheme Disguised As Job Opportunity

Mumbai, 14th August 2023: A 38-year-old bank manager from a private bank in Mumbai has become the victim of cyber fraud under the pretence of a promising job offer. The victim, whose identity is being withheld, was targeted by an elaborate ruse in which Rs 5.5 lakh of money was syphoned off from his account through unauthorised transactions.

On August 2, the victim received a message informing him of a job opportunity within a private bank. The message directed him to a link where he could apply for the position. Upon clicking the link, he was prompted to make an initial payment of Rs. 100 as part of the application process. Despite multiple attempts to make the payment, both through credit card and net banking, the victim was unable to make the payment as the transactions did not proceed.

Afterwards, the victim received a phone call from an individual from an unknown person named Kunal Bansal, a representative from the private bank. On a phone call, this representative informed the victim that his job interview would be conducted via Google Meet and provided a link for the virtual interview.

As the interview commenced, a woman on the other end posed a series of questions to the victim such as his email address and mobile number, followed by a demand to grant permission for a digital signature. Obliging without suspicion, the victim provided all the information only to found that he was entangled in a web of deceit as he began to receive multiple messages of unauthorised transactions.

However, the victim did not pay attention to the messages initially as the interview progressed. Only after the interview had concluded did he return to his messages and was shocked to discover a series of transactions occurring on his credit cards. Acting swiftly, he terminated the interview and scrutinised his accounts, uncovering unauthorised transactions amounting to Rs 5.5 lakh. When traced, these transactions were found in Gurugram.

Realising that he had been cheated, the victim promptly contacted his bank to stop further credit card transactions and subsequently filed a complaint with the Worli Police. The authorities have since launched an investigation into the case, invoking the Prevention of Information Technology Act to address this incident of cyber fraud.