Ahmedabad businessman duped of ₹9 lakh through online banking scam

A 54-year-old businessman in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, was allegedly duped of over ₹9 lakh in an online scam after receiving a fraudulent WhatsApp message claiming to be from Canara Bank.

Kamlesh Kumar Motilal Shah, who runs a saree shop named Navaratna Silk Palace in Ramnagar, filed a complaint at the Cyber Cell after discovering that a total of ₹ 9.01 lakh had been fraudulently transferred from his bank accounts in multiple transactions.

According to the FIR, the incident began on March 4, 2024 when Shah received a WhatsApp message from a number. The message, appearing to be from Canara Bank, warned that his Aadhaar-linked KYC was incomplete and that his account would be blocked unless he took immediate action. The message included a link directing him to download an app named CANARA.APK.

Upon downloading and installing the app, a form prompted Shah to enter sensitive personal and banking details, including his mobile number, Aadhaar number, date of birth, and bank account credentials. Subsequently, he received another message from an unknown number, bearing a profile photo with the Canara Bank logo, requesting his customer ID. Believing the communication to be legitimate, Shah shared the requested information.

Using the details provided, the accused allegedly accessed Shah’s bank accounts and initiated internet banking without his knowledge. On the same day, two transactions of ₹ 2 lakh and ₹ 2.13 lakh were made from his Canara Bank current account via IMPS. The following evening, on March 5, two more transactions, ₹2.50 lakh and ₹2.38 lakh, were transferred from Shah’s fixed deposit overdraft account, without his consent.

Shah became aware of the fraud only after receiving SMS alerts of the transactions and immediately contacted the 1930 cyber fraud helpline. He later approached the Cyber Crime Police Station, where his complaint was registered

In his statement, Shah emphasised that he had been residing in Sabarmati for the past six years with his wife and two sons and had never shared his banking credentials with anyone. He also submitted screenshots of the WhatsApp messages and statements from his bank accounts as evidence.

The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, and an investigation has started. Authorities are now tracing the digital footprint of the fraudulent app and the phone numbers used in the scam.The Cyber Crime Cell has urged citizens to remain vigilant and avoid clicking on suspicious links or sharing personal banking details over messaging platforms.