Senior citizens lose ₹43.69 lakh in cyber and ATM fraud cases in Ahmedabad

Senior citizens lose ₹43.69 lakh in cyber and ATM fraud cases in Ahmedabad. A 70-year-old pensioner from Chandkheda lost ₹39.70 lakh after cyber fraudsters allegedly tricked him into downloading a fake pension verification file sent via WhatsApp, in what investigators say is the latest instance of senior citizens being targeted through digital scams.

The Cyber Crime Branch has registered a complaint and launched an investigation into the incident.

In a separate incident, a 64-year-old retired teacher from Juhapura was allegedly cheated of ₹3.99 lakh when fraudsters swapped his ATM card.  

Fake pension verification file leads to major loss

The complainant, Chiragbhai Parsottambhai Sutaria, a retired resident of Jhanvi Bungalows in Chandkheda, holds a pension account with the Central Bank of India and uses net banking services.

According to the complaint, Sutaria received a phone call on June 18 from a person claiming to be a representative of the Central Bank of India. The caller allegedly sent a file titled “Pension Card Verification” through WhatsApp and instructed him to download it and complete the required formalities.

After downloading the file, Sutaria began receiving debit alerts and one-time password (OTP) messages linked to transactions from his bank account. Suspecting fraudulent activity, he immediately contacted the bank’s customer care service and requested that the account be blocked.

Despite the precautionary step, he later checked his transaction history through the bank’s mobile application and found that ₹39.70 lakh had allegedly been withdrawn from his account through five transactions carried out on the same day.

Investigators suspect the file may have compromised the victim’s device, enabling unauthorised access to his banking credentials and account.

The Cyber Crime Branch is examining the transaction trail and other digital evidence as part of the ongoing probe.

Retired teacher loses ₹3.99 lakh in ATM card swap fraud

In a separate case, a retired teacher from Juhapura was allegedly cheated of ₹3.99 lakh after a fraudster swapped his ATM card.

The victim, 64-year-old Maqboolbhai Mansuri, had visited an HDFC Bank ATM at Royal Akbar Tower and withdrawn ₹10,000.

Police said that while Mansuri was at the ATM, an unidentified man approached him and claimed that the transaction had not been completed properly. During the interaction, the suspect allegedly exchanged Mansuri’s ATM card without his knowledge.

Using the stolen card, the accused subsequently carried out three transactions through ATM and point-of-sale (POS) machines, withdrawing a total of ₹3.99 lakh.

A complaint has been registered with the Vejalpur police, and further investigation is underway.

Senior citizens increasingly targeted

The two cases highlight the continuing threat posed by cybercriminals and financial fraudsters targeting senior citizens through social engineering techniques, including fake verification requests and ATM card-swapping scams.

Police have repeatedly advised bank customers not to download files sent by unknown callers, share OTPs or banking credentials, or seek assistance from strangers while using ATMs. Victims of suspected cyber fraud are encouraged to report incidents immediately and contact their banks to block accounts or cards at the earliest opportunity.