Ahmedabad Cyber Fraud: Businessman’s Phone Hijacked During Fake Update, ₹2.33 Lakh Drained From Three Bank Accounts
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A 48-year-old businessman from Ahmedabad’s Shahibaug area allegedly lost ₹2.33 lakh after his mobile phone suddenly began updating on its own and became unresponsive to attempts to switch it off. While he struggled to regain control of the device, a cybercriminal allegedly accessed three bank accounts linked to the phone and siphoned off money through seven online transactions.
The fraud took place between 1 pm and 2 pm on October 24. The victim, Kuldip Rajendrakumar Sharma, subsequently removed his SIM card and contacted the national cybercrime helpline at 1930. Shahibaug police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and launched an investigation.
Phone Starts Updating Automatically, Refuses to Switch Off
According to the complaint, Sharma lives at Rajnigandha Tower near Sujata Flats in Shahibaug and runs S.S. Enterprise, a road construction materials business based at Dhruv House in Navrangpura.
On October 24, while at home, he took out his mobile phone to make a call when the device suddenly began updating without his intervention. Suspecting a problem, he tried to switch it off but was unable to do so.
A series of one-time passwords (OTPs) then began arriving on the phone, and Sharma reportedly lost control of the device. Investigators suspect that a cybercriminal gained access to the smartphone using malicious software or another unauthorised method.
Seven Transactions Drain Three Bank Accounts
Sharma maintained a business current account and a personal savings account with HDFC Bank’s Jilla Seva Sadan branch. His daughter, Dhruvi Raj Patel, also held a savings account at the same branch.
According to the complaint, the mobile number was registered with all three accounts, which were linked to Google Pay on the phone.
The fraudster allegedly siphoned off ₹2.33 lakh through seven separate transactions:
- ₹89,999 from Sharma’s business current account.
- ₹83,332 from his personal savings account.
- ₹60,000 from his daughter’s savings account.
The total amount withdrawn was ₹2,33,331, or approximately ₹2.33 lakh.
Shahibaug Police Begin Cybercrime Probe
After realising that his phone may have been compromised, Sharma removed the SIM card and contacted the cybercrime helpline at 1930. Shahibaug police subsequently registered a case and began investigating the unauthorised transactions.
The investigation will seek to establish how the device was compromised, who accessed the bank accounts and where the transferred money went.
