Mumbai: Timely complaint helps cyber cops freeze Rs 2 lakh in fraud case

The complainant called on numbers she found on Google. Representation pic

The Azad Maidan cyber cops managed to block Rs 2 lakh of a complainant in a fraudsters account, after she approached them within the golden hours - 2-3 hours after crime - of cyber fraud. The police spoke to nodal officers of payment gateways she had used, and got the full amount back within 48 hours.

According to the Azad Maidan police, on October 28, the complainant, Padmini Nayal, residing at Dhobi Talao, reported the crime soon after it took place. She said she wanted to visit Dwarka, Gujarat, and so had searched on Google for dormitories, and then called a number available on the search engine for the same. The person who received the call asked her to pay Rs 1,000 through a payment app but eventually she transferred Rs 5,000.

Also read: Mumbai: Woman looking to book hotel duped online by fraudster, cops file FIR

Another trap

But the complainant said then in her statement that she found something suspicious and decided to complain to the customer redressal forum of the payment app. Again she searched on Google and fell into yet another trap, when she dialled another number for a ‘customer redressal officer'. The person posing as the app's customer redressal officer asked her to download the Any Desk app, and Nayal filled her banking details on it. The police said within a few minutes four different transactions of Rs 2 lakh were made from her account.

"After receiving her complaint within the golden hours we got in touch with the nodal officers of different payment gateways, and managed to block the transactions. Nayal got her full amount back within 48 hours," said Bhushan Belnekar, senior PI, Azad Maidan police station.

"The city police has always been asking people to not dial any number available on Google or any other search engine, but to go to the verified websites because fake numbers are available on most search engines. If you report an incident in the 2-3 hours after the crime, which are considered as golden hours, the money can be blocked, and the chances of getting a refund are higher," Belnekar added.

The Azad Maidan police have registered an FIR against unknown persons under various sections of IPC and the IT Act.

‘Thanks, Mumbai police'

"On Oct 28, I got trapped in a cyber fraud case for Rs 2,05,000 at 2.00 pm. API Survase, cyber officer and PSI Gaikwad from Azad Maidan police station, took an immediate action to block the money due to which i was able to get my full 2 lacs amount back within 48hrs," (SIC) the complainant wrote on her Twitter handle.

"Since complaint was done within the GOLDEN PERIOD, it helped to recover the money. Big Thank You to Mumbai police and #cyberteam for being so supportive, helpful and fully co-operative," (SIC) she added.