Panvel teacher loses Rs 49K in cyber fraud

A 39-year-old New Panvel resident lost Rs 49,000 to a cyber fraudster while doing KYC of her sim card. The victim downloaded QuickSupport App and recharged a Rs 10 voucher on her mobile as suggested by the fake customer care executive mobile service provider company. However, soon after she recharged her number, she received four messages regarding transactions from her accounts.

The complainant, a teacher, complained about the fraud to the bank where she was given assurance of a refund. However, when she did not get a refund, she approached the police and registered a complaint.  

The complainant received a call on January 6, 2022, and the caller was identified as Deepak Sharma and customer care of a mobile network service provider company. The caller told the complainant that her sim card would be closed if the KYC update was not done immediately. Later, the caller asked her to download the QuickSupport app on her mobile and recharge her mobile number with Rs 10.

The complainant followed the instruction and recharged her mobile number with Rs 10 using the debit card. However, soon after she recharged her mobile, she received four messages of money withdrawal. The four transactions were Rs 19,000, Rs 24,999, Rs 4999 and Rs 500. A total of Rs 49,489 was transferred from her bank account.

She approached the bank the next day and as per the complainant, the bank assured her that she would get back a refund. However, even after eight months, she did not get back her money. Finally, she approached the Khandeshwar police. The police registered a case against an unknown person under section 420 of IPC for cheating and section 66 d of the IT Act and started the investigation.