Contractor’s ₹1 crore siphoned off after SIM deactivation in Ahmedabad

A construction contractor in Ahmedabad has alleged that more than ₹1.07 crore was fraudulently transferred from his company’s bank account after an unknown person got his mobile SIM card deactivated and gained unauthorised access to his net banking, according to a complaint lodged with the Cyber Crime police.

Jitendrakumar Kantibhai Patel (53), a resident of the Science City Road area, stated that the incident occurred between the night of March 21 and the afternoon of March 22. Patel, who runs a construction business under the name Kivya Construction Company, maintains a cash credit account with a private bank for business transactions.

According to police official, an unidentified accused allegedly contacted the telecom service provider while impersonating the complainant and got his Vodafone e-SIM card, linked to mobile number, blocked without his knowledge. During the period when the SIM card remained inactive, the accused is believed to have gained unauthorised access to the complainant’s net banking credentials.

Patel stated that he first noticed the issue on the night of March 21 when he received a message regarding the SIM being blocked. Assuming it to be a network issue, he used an alternate SIM card for communication. The following day, he approached a Vodafone store and obtained a replacement SIM card.

However, on March 23, while reviewing his company’s bank account along with his accountant, Patel discovered that a total of ₹1.07 crore had been transferred to nine different bank accounts through 15 transactions carried out between 10.42 pm on March 21 and 2.45 pm on March 22.

The transactions were not authorised by the victim. The funds, part of a bank-provided cash credit facility, were siphoned off without his knowledge.

The FIR details multiple transactions made via NEFT and IMPS to accounts in various banks. The complainant further stated that he immediately contacted the bank manager, who indicated that it appeared to be a case of cyber fraud.

After then a complaint was  registered on the National Cyber Helpline (1930), following which the matter was taken up by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ahmedabad.

Police officials said a case has been registered against an unidentified accused under relevant sections pertaining to cheating, identity theft and unauthorised access to computer systems and efforts are underway to trace the accused and track the flow of funds.

Officials added that further investigation is in progress to identify those involved and recover the defrauded amount.