Mumbai cops struggle with fake bank calls menace

According to the police, most of the fraudulent callers ask for the intended victims’ card details pretending to be from their bank, the ‘ATM wing’ or the Reserve Bank of India.

Even as people continue to fall prey to fraudulent calls from ‘bank officials’, especially after demonetisation, the Mumbai Police is struggling to come up with a mechanism to end the menace. Officers said often, the amount involved in individual cases is small, and the racket is spread across several states. According to the police, most of the fraudulent callers ask for the intended victims’ card details pretending to be from their bank, the ‘ATM wing’ or the Reserve Bank of India.

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Probe in several cases has shown that the calls are usually made from Noida, other places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, an officer said. “If the victims share their details, the money is often found transferred to accounts in Jharkhand. The SIM cards are registered in Kerala,” he added.

“It is difficult to send three teams to different parts of the country for the same crime. At times, local elements tip off these callers and they flee,” said an officer with the cyber wing of the Mumbai Police . “Also, if the amount lost is around Rs 15,000, the cost for our men to go and apprehend the callers is more than what we recover,” he added. “Hence, on most occasions we wait for several cases that point to the same network of fraudsters. Then we send teams to these places to solve several cases in one go. However, we dismantle their set-up and return, only to find out that they have started operations again a few months later.”

The officer said that according to their estimates, hundreds of fraudulent calls are made daily. “A small percentage of these calls result in actual theft, if the receiver is not well-versed with the banking system. While there is no official data since we do not register FIRs in all cases, a few complaints come to police stations across the city daily,” he added.

When The Indian Express called up some of these numbers, they were all switched off. A call identifier app showed one number to be from Bihar, while two others were shown as ‘Bank ATM’ and ‘ATM card expiry’.

A police inspector said they had been approaching banks, asking them to create awareness among customers. “We also need to set up a system to co-ordinate with the police of other states. Sometimes, the local police is not too interested in pursuing a case.”

Mohamed Thaver

Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems. Experience & Authority Core Focus: Has been exclusively covering the crime beat for over a decade, building deep, specialized knowledge in the field. Geographical Authority: Currently focuses heavily on law enforcement and policy in Maharashtra, providing authoritative coverage of the state's security apparatus. Key Beats: Law Enforcement: Reports on the operations of the Maharashtra Police and the Mumbai Crime Branch. Policy & Administration: Covers the Maharashtra Home Department, focusing on policy matters related to handling law and order and the evolution of the police force. Judiciary: Has significant past experience covering the courts, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire criminal justice process from investigation to verdict. Specialized Interest (Cyber & Forensics): Demonstrates Expertise in modern investigative techniques, with a keen focus on cyber crime and forensics, reporting on how these technologies assist complex crime investigations. Content Focus: His reports revolve around police probes, the evolution of the force, and state policy, ensuring his content is highly relevant and detailed. Credentials & Trustworthiness Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization in the crime beat—combined with his focus on technological aspects like cyber crime and his direct coverage of major institutions like the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department—underscores his Trustworthiness and status as an expert source for detailed and reliable journalism on law and order. He tweets @thaver_mohamed ... Read More

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