Ranchi Woman Falls Victim to Cyber Fraud via Fake Army Identity

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A 66-year-old woman in Ranchi was reportedly defrauded of 2.99 lakh rupees through a scam involving a fake military identity.

The incident occurred after a suspect impersonating an Indian Army personnel contacted the victim via digital communication. According to the complaint filed with law enforcement, Shahina Khatoon, a resident of Samriddhi Complex in South Office Para under the Doranda police station jurisdiction, and her spouse had listed their property for rental. A male individual claiming to be Ashish Kumar Pahadi reached out, asserting affiliation with the Indian Army. The suspect allegedly shared copies of an Aadhaar card and PAN card to establish credibility. He then requested the victim to process a digital advance payment through PhonePe, Google Pay, and the Union Bank Union Ease application. Investigators noted that during the interaction, the fraudster manipulated the victim into revealing confidential banking details, including one-time passwords (OTPs), UPI PINs, and internet banking credentials. Using this information, 299,500 rupees were transferred from the victim’s Union Bank account via IMPS at approximately 9:06 p.m. on June 28, 2026. Upon realizing the deception, the couple contacted the suspect, who allegedly sent a fabricated SMS claiming the funds had been refunded. However, subsequent bank account verification confirmed no such transaction had occurred. The victim reported the incident through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, prompting the initiation of a First Information Report (FIR). Authorities are currently working to freeze the beneficiary bank accounts to recover the stolen amount.

A cybersecurity analyst from Algoritha Security highlighted that cybercriminals frequently exploit public trust by mimicking military or government personnel in rental and online transaction schemes. The expert emphasized that property owners should never share OTPs, UPI PINs, or internet banking details with third parties, regardless of the circumstances. Verification of a tenant’s identity through independent channels is strongly recommended before accepting digital payment requests. Individuals affected by similar fraud are advised to immediately report incidents to cybercrime helplines and their respective banks to enhance the likelihood of halting unauthorized transactions.

The case is under active investigation.