Mumbai teacher trying to open demat account loses Rs1.57L

Giving away debit and credit card details to open demat account recently cost a 44-year-old teacher from Dadar Rs1.57 lakh.

According to the police, the incident took place on March 8, while the victim, Sheetal Ketan Thakkar, a teacher for the hearing and speech impaired in Dadar, filed a complaint on Friday. As Thakkar wanted to open a demat account, she searched for the number of a nationalised bank website on the Internet. “Thakkar contacted a customer service executive. On the pretext of helping her open the account, the executive asked her to share her 16-digit debit card number and later the three-digit CVV. When the woman received an OTP on her phone, a fraudster asked her to share it with him,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity. “When Thakkar told him that money has been debited from her account, the fraudster told him that once she gets PIN for her demat account, the money will be transferred back.”

The fraudster then asked her if she had more debit or credit cards, said the officer. “When Thakkar said she had two credit cards, he sought all details from her. She kept saying that money was being debited, but the executive told her it was the procedure. The next day she called the same number, but found it to be switched off,” said the officer.

Five days later, Thakkar went to the bank, only to find out such a number didn’t exist. “We suspect the fraudsters made a fake website to cheat people who keep searching for assistance on internet,” added the official.

A case has been filed under section 419 (punishment for cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 (C) and (D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Vijay Kumar Ambarge, assistant police inspector from Matunga police station, said, “We have traced the number to Jharkhand. Further investigation is on.”