FPJ Cyber Secure: Doctor Loses ₹6.12 Lakh In SIM Swap Fraud, Scammers Siphon Money Through Identity Theft

A 34-year-old doctor lost Rs 6.12 lakh after falling prey to sim swap fraud. A SIM swap scam is a type of fraud that involves a criminal registering an existing number of a cellular company’s client on a new SIM card ultimately resulting in siphoning of money from the victim's bank account.

According to the police, the victim is a resident of Mankoli in Thane. The victim had been using the same sim card since 2017. On February 21, around 10 pm, the victim suddenly realised that the network of her phone was not available. She waited for a long time to get her phone's network back and even switch her phone on and off, but was unable to get her phone's network.

Next day, the victim visited the telecom company's gallery at Kalyan and was stunned to know that her sim card was no longer registered in her name. She suspected something amiss and immediately visited her bank. She told the bank officials that there had been no network in her sim card and asked them to register her new number with her bank account.

The victim, who had over Rs 9 lakh in her bank account was shocked to know that Rs 6.12 lakh had been siphoned from her account by some unknown fraudster in eight different transactions. She then approached the police and got an offence registered in the matter on Wednesday. A case has been registered under section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66C (identity theft) of the Information Technology Act.

As per the police scammers use a phishing e-mail or pose as bank officials asking the victim to share their personal information. With this data, the victim's existing cell number is transferred to a new SIM for identity theft. The victim should be aware of their mobile network's connectivity status and if they don't receive calls or messages for a long period, they should enquire with their telephone company operator immediately.