Hyderabad Constable Saves Pensioner from Losing Life Savings in Online Banking Scam

A Hyderabad pensioner narrowly escaped losing his entire life savings after falling victim to an online banking scam, thanks to the quick response of city police constable N. Srikanth Naik.

The victim, while searching online for his bank’s official contact number to submit his life certificate, accidentally dialed a number posted by cybercriminals. Posing as bank officials, the fraudsters convinced him to install a malicious .APK application sent via WhatsApp, claiming it was needed for verification.

Once installed, the app gave the scammers remote access to the pensioner’s phone. They intercepted his banking alerts and one-time passwords (OTPs), using them to make unauthorized withdrawals totaling ₹10 lakh. They also attempted to take over his WhatsApp account to extend their scam.

Realizing he had been duped, the pensioner approached the cybercrime police station, where Constable Naik helped him file a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).

The malicious app was removed, and investigators discovered that the stolen money had been funneled through a payment gateway. Acting promptly, the gateway’s nodal officer, Harshavardhan Rao, managed to block ₹5 lakh, which is now being refunded to the victim.

According to police, the fraudulent app was designed to read SMS messages and OTPs, allowing scammers to bypass bank security checks. Officials warned that such scams increasingly target senior citizens, urging people to verify contact details directly from official bank websites and avoid downloading unknown applications.