Panchkula: Ex-IG gives bank information to stranger, loses Rs 6 lakh

PANCHKULA: Some unknown person took out Rs 6.08 lakh in six transactions from the bank account of a retired inspector general of police (IG), a senior citizen, when he dialed a mobile number of a courier company, which he searched on Google.
Suresh Kumar Vij, IG (retd), 65, a resident of Sector 9, Panchkula, reported to the cops that he sent a courier to his daughter in Gurugram through DTDC courier services on August 13. When the courier did not reach on time, he thought of asking the courier company on August 16.
He then looked up for the DTDC contact number on Google and dialed the mobile number. The caller claimed to be a representative of the courier service agency and told Vij that his courier was with them and a fee of Rs 10 is to be made and that the courier would be delivered.
On this, Vij provided his ATM card details along with the PIN to pay fee of Rs 10. Soon after giving bank details to the caller, he received a message at 2.41 pm that Rs 2.50 lakh got deducted from his bank account. He received another message at 2.43 pm mentioning that Rs 2.50 lakh got deducted again, Rs 30,000 got deducted at 2.45 pm, Rs 20,000 got deducted at 2.46 pm. He then received another message at 3.16 pm mentioning that Rs 25,221 got deducted and the last transaction of Rs 3,430 deduction was at 3.38 pm, making a total of Rs 6,08,646.
Vij said, “I am a senior citizen and I am not aware of the online banking system and have lost all my savings.”
The police have registered a case under Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 5 police station.
ASI Sawinder Singh, investigation officer, said, “We have registered a case and are investigating the matter.”