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An incident which took place in course of past two days in which a big racket of cyber criminal could have been caught by Delhi police if they would have acted immediately. On 19/10/15, I came across one such incidence while I was doing a routine bank work while sitting in front desk of my bank branch the Satna main branch of Allahabad bank.
As festive season is going on many of our staff member are on leave, I was only dealing the customers in the front desk of my branch. One lady named Miss Mumtaz Pareen (not of very sound mind) walked in to my branch in hurry and asked me to break her fixed deposit account and transfer Rs 25000/- to his brother’s account immediately which belong to Mr. Vimal Kumar in Allahabad bank Delhi Vishnu garden branch.
I do not want to give it a religious angle but I could not satisfy my conscious mind that how come a hindu and muslim could maintain brother and sister relation. A section of my mind asked me to ignore it as there are many relations often termed as “mooh bola relations” in our society.
I tried to ignore the doubt in my mind. But some part of my mind was still restless, acting upon that I thought of checking the transactions of Account no. After carefully examining the transaction of that account I found that it was a new account opened in Vishnu Garden Delhi branch of our bank.
The transactions in accounts showed that various deposits are being made into that account from many part of India and is immediately being drawn out by ATM within 15-20 mins of deposit. A doubt struck my mind that the lady might be becoming a victim of fraud. I asked the lady that how she is related to Mr. Vimal Kumar. She told me that he is her brother. I said okay. I further asked why she is sending money to him.
She replied that he is in urgent need of money so I as helping him. I said ok to her, but my sub conscious mind kept on hinting me about the probable fraud going in front of my eyes. I immediately hinted my senior manager in my branch Mr. Salil Kant Mishra about the probable fraud.
He asked me to not to straight away transfer the fund to Vimal Kumar account instead asked me to insist the lady to make a cash deposit to Vimal’s account. I did as my senior manager asked me to do. I asked the lady to withdraw cash from her saving account and deposit into Mr. Vimal Kumar account. I mind was still in unrest situation. As soon as lady deposited the amount in Vimal Kumar account I applied hold to Mr. Vimal Kumar account so that he cannot withdraw amount from ATM. As soon as amount was deposited I asked her to tell Vimal Kumar that amount has been deposited in him account.
Vimal Kumar made a balance inquiry of his account through ATM and also attempted to withdraw that amount but as hold was set he could not withdraw the amount. Vimal Kumar instantly called on the mobile of that lady and told that amount is not yet deposited and insisted her to send a scanned copy of counter slip of deposit slip.
The ladies agreed and sent the scanned copy to him on his email id. After she went out of the branch I called Vishnu Garden Delhi branch and asked the manager of that branch to carefully examine the KYC and transactions of Vimal’s account as suspicious transactions are being made in his account.
Today while I was again in the front desk of my branch again, the same lady walked in again to deposit Rs 20000/- to different account of IP extension Delhi branch which belongs to Mr. Anil Kumar. I again asked who he is. She told that he is her brother, yesterday she sent money to his brother; some more amount has to transferred as his brother is in some kind of problem.
I again checked the transaction pattern of this account. The transaction pattern was similar to that of Mr Vimal Kumar account of Vishnu garden branch. I immediately decided to trace both of these account holders of delhi branches. I asked the lady how come a Hindu is your brother, the lady shouted on me “ aap religion kyun beech mein laa rahe hain, kya ek hindu muslim bhai behen nahin ho sakte” I thought I should not trigger this topic. I asked her to sit down and call someone else from her family, she again got angry and started shouting “aap log ladki ko bahut pareshan karte hain, ladki ko kabhi aage bhadhne hi nahin dena chahte, mera account hai mere family ka kya kaam hai”.
I said okay to that lady and asked her to withdraw cash from her account and deposit to Mr. Anil Kumar account. As soon the amount got deposited I immediately applied hold on that account and gave her receipt. I called IP extension branch manager and told about the complete incidence. The manager agreed to help me. An immediate stop was applied to ATM card of Mr Anil Kumar account so that he cannot withdraw any amount.
After an hour she again came with another fixed deposit receipt of her and asked me to break her Fix deposit and deposit to Mr Anil Kumar account. I asked her “aap itna amount kahan aur kyun deposit kar rahi hain” she replied “main sab batati hun pehle aap mera paisa bhejiye Anil ke account pe” I insisted her to first tell then I would deposit money to Anil’s account. She said “aap log problem create karoge” I said “hum log kyun problem create kareinge aapka paisa hai aap chahe jo karein, bas aapke account mein zada transactions ho rahe hain to hamein janna zaruri hai, ho sakta hai ki aapka kahin paisa fas jaye” she replied “mai pagal thode hun ki aise hi apna paisa kisi ko de dungi, wo mujhe khoob sara paisa de bhi to rahe hain”, the line immediately struck my mind that it is clear case of fraud. I asked her kitna paisa de rahe hain wo apko. She replied Rs 25 lakh. I asked aap kyun paisa bhej rahi hai. She replied “wo apka bank processing fees leta hai to mujhe Rs 1 lakh bhejna padega taki wo mera Rs 25 lakh release kar sakein.” I told her okey fine, and asked her that I am doing her work but it will take approximately 30 min as now it is lunch time. I immediately asked my branch peon to go to her address and call any on her family member.
Mean while in lunch I searched through the delhi police control telephone number from web. I called Delhi police control room on land line no and reported complete incidence. I told them that if they will act immediately I can even tell, the ATM id and location from where the amount has been attempted to be withdraw. The Delhi police refused to help me and asked me to lodge complaint to nearest police in Satna as this case is of satna. I told them that racket belongs to delhi and a prompt activity by them can put criminals behind the bars that too red-handed. But Delhi police refused to listen to my complaint. I asked them to tell some email id to report about such complaint. They told that they don’t have any such email id. Disappointed by their reply I ended the call.
When the lady’s brother arrived the branch, I narrated the complete incidence to his brother. Her brother immediately asked us to not to do any such transactions. I asked him to lodge an FIR at nearest police station so that on basis of which we can reverse the amount credited to Mr Vimal and Anil account.
Today I feel proud of myself that due to prompt and alert measures taken by me I could save a lady from becoming as victim of cyber fraud. Meanwhile I also feel ashamed of our Policing system which is always on the back foot when it comes to citizen’s help and welfare.
Submitted By – Ankit Singh
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