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81-year-old retired railway engineer loses Rs 26 lakh in cyber fraud over ‘life certificate update’ in Mumbai

The Mumbai man says he lost money after he received a call from a fraudster claiming to be a bank representative.

2 min readMumbaiUpdated: Nov 19, 2025 04:02 PM IST

mumbai, cyber fraud, life certificate update,

During a WhatsApp video call that followed, the fraudster asked for the man’s debit card details, including the PIN, and sent a link asking him to furnish the details. (File photo)

An 81-year-old man who retired from the Northern Railway as a junior engineer lost Rs 26 lakh last week after he received a call from a fraudster claiming to be a bank representative, who sought his bank details purportedly to update his life certificate, Mumbai Police said.

According to the police, the elderly man, who lives in the Byculla area, was at home on November 12 when he received a call from the fraudster, who wanted to verify whether the life update certificate he had submitted to the bank had been rejected. During a WhatsApp video call that followed, the fraudster asked for the man’s debit card details, including the PIN, and sent a link asking him to furnish the details. But the man got suspicious and scared, refused to enter his debit card details and PIN, and switched off his phone. However, when he switched on his mobile phone two or three hours later, he got many text messages saying that money had been withdrawn from his bank account.

The man immediately went to the bank and asked the staff to freeze his account. Then he learnt that the fraudster had made several transactions and transferred Rs 26 lakh from another of his bank accounts.

Following the bank officials’ advice, the man called the cyber helpline number 193 and registered a complaint. He later visited the central cyber police station in Worli, along with the screenshots of bank transactions and other evidence, and registered a case against the unknown fraudster.

“The case was registered on Tuesday. We have been checking the bank transactions and are trying to find out the culprit,” said an officer of the cyber police station.

Manish Kumar Pathak

Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region. Expertise & Authority Affiliation: Reports for the nationally recognized daily, The Indian Express, providing his content with high Trustworthiness. Geographical Focus: Provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of breaking news and investigative matters across Mumbai and the surrounding regions (e.g., Thane, Vasai). Core Authority: His reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial beats, including: Cyber & Financial Crime: Extensive coverage of sophisticated scams, including cases involving high-value cyber fraud, stock market manipulation scams, and fraudsters using government figures to gain trust. Law Enforcement & Investigation: Reports directly on major police actions, including arrests made by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in fraud cases (e.g., MHADA flat scams) and detailed coverage of murder and kidnapping investigations. Major Incidents & Public Safety: Covers significant incidents like building collapses, road accidents, and public safety issues such as theft at large public events. Defence & Maritime: Also covers key updates regarding the Indian Navy, including the commissioning of new vessels and strategic defense announcements. Manish Kumar Pathak's consistent focus on crime, fraud, and the workings of the Mumbai police system establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for critical news in Western India. ... Read More

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