FIR Registered After Two Months; Case Raises Fresh Concerns Over Digital Banking Safety
In a concerning case of cyber fraud, Ahmedabad police have registered an FIR after an 83-year-old retired doctor from Anandnagar allegedly lost nearly Rs 1 lakh from his bank account—despite not sharing any OTP, password, or banking details.
According to the complaint filed on Wednesday, the fraudulent transaction took place on January 2 when the doctor attempted a routine payment using a digital payment application. During the process, he received an alert stating that his daily transaction limit had been exceeded, even though he had not carried out any transactions that day.
Unauthorized Transaction Detected During Bank Visit
Disturbed by the unusual notification, the doctor visited his bank branch a few days later to verify the issue. Bank officials informed him that an online transaction of Rs 99,000 had already been processed from his account in the early hours of January 2.
The complainant firmly stated that he neither initiated the transaction nor disclosed any sensitive banking information to anyone.
Complaint Filed, But FIR Delayed
After discovering the unauthorized debit, the victim promptly contacted the national cybercrime helpline to report the incident. However, despite the immediate complaint, the FIR was registered only after a delay of nearly two months.
Police have now booked the case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft, along with sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Rising Cyber Fraud Cases Targeting Elderly
This incident highlights the growing sophistication of cybercriminals and their increasing focus on elderly victims. In a similar case reported earlier in Gwalior, a 90-year-old retired Air Force doctor was allegedly duped of around Rs 2.5 crore through a “digital arrest” scam that lasted nearly 25 days.
Cybersecurity experts warn that fraudsters are now using advanced techniques that do not always require OTPs or direct user interaction, making detection and prevention more challenging.
Advisory for Digital Users
Authorities urge citizens—especially senior citizens—to regularly monitor bank statements, enable transaction alerts, and report suspicious activities immediately to avoid financial losses.
