Senior Citizen's Life Savings Depleted by Phony Bank Call Scam

Post Views: 13

Senior Citizen Loses ₹17 Lakh to Cyber Scam

A recent incident in Ahmedabad has highlighted the growing threat of cybercrime targeting senior citizens. An 80-year-old retired government employee was duped out of his entire life savings of ₹17 lakh in a matter of seconds by scammers posing as bank officials.

The Scam

The scam began with a fake webpage designed to mimic the official Bank of India page. The page claimed to offer a convenient online service for submitting life certificates, eliminating the need for a branch visit. The victim, who was attempting to submit his life certificate, clicked on the “Get in Touch” option and entered his mobile number. Shortly thereafter, he received a call from an individual claiming to be a bank employee who assured him that his life certificate would be updated immediately.

During the conversation, the scammer obtained sensitive banking information from the victim. Within seconds, multiple transactions were executed, and the entire ₹17 lakh was withdrawn from the account. The elderly man, who lives alone, only realized he had been cheated after receiving debit alerts on his phone. The stolen amount represented his savings accumulated over 38 years of service.

Warning from Cyber Experts

Cyber experts warn that senior citizens are increasingly being targeted by scammers using pretexts such as life certificate submission, KYC updates, pension verification, or threats of account freezing. These scammers use official logos, fake social media pages, and bank-like caller IDs to build trust before extracting sensitive information such as OTPs, PINs, or net banking credentials.

According to the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF), such incidents are described as “social-engineering-driven high-speed fraud.”

Prevention and Reporting

The FCRF emphasizes the importance of reporting such incidents within the “golden hour” on the 1930 helpline or the national cyber crime portal to significantly improve the chances of freezing the stolen funds. Delays in reporting allow the scammers to split the funds across multiple mule accounts.

To protect themselves from such scams, citizens are advised to be cautious when dealing with online requests. Banks, RBI, or government agencies never ask for OTP, PIN, or passwords over the phone. Life certificates should only be submitted through the Jeevan Pramaan portal, official bank apps, or by visiting the branch in person. Social media bank pages should be verified through the blue tick and correct URL. Calls threatening account suspension should be treated as suspicious, and unknown screen-sharing or remote-access apps should never be installed.

In the event of a suspected scam, citizens are advised to call 1930 immediately and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. The incident highlights the growing need for cyber awareness alongside digital banking adoption, particularly for senior citizens. Timely reporting and basic verification steps remain the most effective safeguards against such scams.