Ambala: Govt Employee, Retired Cop Lose Nearly ₹19 Lakh in Separate Cyber Frauds

Two major cyber fraud incidents amounting to nearly ₹19 lakh have been reported in Ambala, prompting police to issue a fresh advisory urging citizens to stay vigilant.

A case of ₹12 lakh online fraud was registered at the Ambala Cyber Crime Police Station based on the complaint of Anita Rani, 57, a resident of Sector-9 and a government employee in the Education Department. On November 11, she received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. Two days later, the caller contacted her again, posing as an employee from the Central Bank of India’s head office and claiming that her life certificate needed to be updated to prevent pension stoppage.

Misled by the impersonator, she shared her Aadhaar details, bank information, and ATM card particulars. The fraudster then sent her a fake certificate and a link. As soon as she opened the link, her phone was remotely accessed, and ₹12 lakh was siphoned off in three online transactions. She discovered the fraud only after checking her bank statement.

In another incident, a retired policeman lost ₹7,13,565 after a labourer allegedly stole his mobile phone. The victim had hired the labourer at the railway station in September. Days later, the labourer fled with the phone and used it to withdraw money from the victim’s three bank accounts.

FIRs have been registered in both cases, and investigations are underway. Cyber Crime Police have cautioned the public against sharing any personal or banking information through calls, links, or messages and urged immediate reporting of suspicious activity.