Ahmedabad Retired Bank Employee Loses ₹4.04 Lakh In WhatsApp KYC Fraud, Wife’s Account Also Drained

A retired bank employee was allegedly tricked into opening a WhatsApp file for a fake KYC verification process, allowing a cyber fraudster posing as a Bank of India official to siphon more than ₹4 lakh from his and his wife’s accounts.

The 60-year-old victim, identified as Jagabhai Manabhai Makwana, a resident of Karnavatinagar in Ahmedabad, told police that the fraudster claimed there had been suspicious “movement” in his bank account and that KYC formalities were required before he could withdraw money.

‘Bank Official’ Calls With Warning About Account Activity

According to Makwana’s complaint, the incident took place on June 4 at around 8.30 pm, when he was at home.

He allegedly received a call from an unknown man who introduced himself as “Maqsudbhai” from the Bank of India head office.

The caller allegedly told Makwana that a transaction or suspicious movement had been detected in his account and that he needed to complete KYC formalities to withdraw money.

The alleged fraudster then sent a file to Makwana on WhatsApp and instructed him to install it.

Makwana told police that he opened the file, after which he began receiving messages indicating that money was being deducted from his bank account.

Wife’s Account Also Hit Through Registered Mobile Number

The fraud did not remain limited to Makwana’s account.

Since his mobile number was also registered with his wife Madhuben’s bank account, transactions were allegedly carried out from both accounts.

According to the complaint, ₹49,000 was debited from Madhuben’s account, while ₹3.54 lakh was withdrawn from Makwana’s account.

The combined loss was reported at approximately ₹4.03 lakh, with the complaint describing the overall loss as ₹4.04 lakh.

Retired Employee Contacts Bank After Realising Fraud

As soon as Makwana realised that unauthorised transactions were taking place, he contacted Bank of India customer care and reported the withdrawals.

The bank subsequently blocked both accounts.

Makwana later approached his Bank of India branch and learnt that the call he had received had not been made by any bank official.

It was then that he realised he had allegedly fallen victim to a cyber fraud.

Anandnagar Police Begin Investigation

Makwana subsequently contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and approached Anandnagar police.

A case has been registered against an unidentified person, and police have begun investigating the incident.

Investigators are examining the digital trail, including the suspicious file allegedly sent through WhatsApp and the transactions through which the money was transferred.

Madhuben has been listed as a witness in the complaint as police work to identify the person behind the alleged fraud.