Hyderabad, December 1: A vigilant branch manager at the State Bank of India (SBI) in Lothukunta, Hyderabad, successfully thwarted a cyber fraud attempt on Friday, saving a senior citizen couple from losing INR 30 lakh in a scam. The branch manager's timely intervention ensured that the elderly couple’s life savings were protected from cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials.

According to a report published by The Hindu, the incident began around 12:20 pm when a 78-year-old customer, a doctor and clinic owner, received a phone call from an individual claiming to be a Delhi Customs officer. The caller alleged that a parcel containing passports and ATM cards in the customer's name had arrived from Malaysia. When the elderly man denied any knowledge of the parcel, the call was transferred to an alleged ACP, Sunil Kumar, from the Delhi Crime branch. WhatsApp Group Scam in Mumbai: Senior Citizen Loses Over INR 11 Crore in Online Share Trading Fraud.

Senior Citizen Gets Engulfed in Cyber Fraud

The fraudsters informed the customer that his Aadhaar credentials were linked to a money-laundering case involving INR 88 crore, pressuring him to close his Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) account, which held INR 30 lakh, and transfer the funds to another account in order to secure a police clearance certificate.

Alert SBI Branch Manager Thwarted Cyber Fraud

By 2:30 pm, visibly distressed, the elderly man visited the SBI branch to close his account. Branch manager Naveen Kumar grew suspicious after noticing the customer’s anxiety and receiving inconsistent explanations, including a supposed medical emergency involving his wife. Kumar’s suspicions intensified when multiple phone calls from the alleged fraudsters interrupted their conversation. Digital Arrest Scam in Mumbai: Woman Forced To Strip on Video Call for ‘Body Verification’, Duped of Nearly INR 1.80 Lakh.

Kumar quickly contacted the Regional Business Office and verified with Apollo Hospitals that the customer’s wife was not admitted as claimed. Realizing the fraud, he alerted the local police, who responded promptly. The elderly man then revealed the full details of the fraudulent calls, explaining the mental stress inflicted by the scammers over the course of three hours.

Thanks to Kumar’s quick thinking and decisive action, the couple’s savings were saved, preventing further financial exploitation. Local police have now launched an investigation into the cyber fraud attempt.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 01, 2024 05:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).