Ahmedabad: Retired Man Loses ₹9.05 Lakh In Pension Card Scam After Fraudster Poses As Bank Employee
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A 78-year-old retired man from South Bopal allegedly lost ₹9.05 lakh after a cyber fraudster posing as a Bank of Baroda employee convinced him to download an APK file on the pretext of helping him obtain a pension card, police said.
The fraudster allegedly kept the elderly man on a WhatsApp video call, persuaded him to share his mobile screen and obtained access to his bank details. Money was subsequently siphoned off in multiple transactions from the victim's three bank accounts.
Fraudster Claimed Pension Card Was Mandatory
According to the complaint, Pradip Shantilal Shukla, a resident of Aarohi Elysium in South Bopal, received a WhatsApp video call from an unknown number on July 9, 2026.
The caller allegedly introduced himself as a Bank of Baroda employee and told Shukla that a pension card was mandatory under government regulations for receiving pension payments.
Offering to assist him with the process, the caller allegedly sent an APK file to Shukla through WhatsApp.
The fraudster then kept the victim on a video call and allegedly persuaded him to share his mobile screen while downloading and using the application. Shukla subsequently entered his bank account details and password, police said.
₹9.05 Lakh Drained From Three Accounts
A few days later, when Shukla attempted to contact the person regarding the pension card, the phone number was found to be switched off.
The alleged fraud remained undiscovered until September 9, when Shukla visited his bank and obtained his account statements.
The statements revealed that a total of ₹9.05 lakh had been withdrawn from his three bank accounts in multiple stages, according to the complaint.
Shukla then contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930 and subsequently approached Bopal police.
Bopal Police Begin Technical Investigation
Bopal police have registered a case against the unidentified accused and begun an investigation.
Police are analysing the digital and financial transaction trail, including the circumstances surrounding the APK installation and the unauthorised withdrawals, in an effort to identify the fraudster.
Further investigation is underway.
