This is an archive article published on August 10, 2017
Fraudsters cash in on digitisation push, spike in number of calls to extract bank details
In one of the cases, registered on August 3, a woman told the Delhi Police that about Rs 40,000 was withdrawn from her mother’s account. The complainant alleged that her mother was contacted by a person posing as an SBI official, who asked for her PAN card details and account details.
According to officers, in many cases, the victims are bombarded with jargon and offered gift vouchers and additional perks like a platinum card so they part with their details. (Representational Image)
Amid a push for digitisation, cyber criminals have been duping people on the pretext of linking their PAN or Aadhaar cards with their bank accounts. The cyber cell unit of the Crime Branch has been grappling with “15-20 calls on a daily basis” of fraudsters using ‘voice phishing’ calls to entrap people into parting with their bank account details, The Indian Express has learnt.
Many people who have registered a complaint with the cyber cell claimed that fraudsters posing as officials from prominent banks called and said their bank account would be deactivated or their PAN declared invalid if they do not link the two. The Indian Express accessed four such complaints registered with the cyber cell over the past one week, including a case registered in Gurgaon. Corroborating the new trend, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch (Cyber Cell & FICN), Bhisham Singh said, “We cannot put an estimate on the number of calls received pertaining to this trend as there are multiple complaints that several police stations across Delhi receive. But we have come across such cases. Fraudsters ask for Aadhaar card details and also end up taking PAN card numbers on the pretext of offering financial services. Later, people find that their money has been withdrawn.”
In one of the cases, registered on August 3, a woman told the Delhi Police that about Rs 40,000 was withdrawn from her mother’s account. The complainant alleged that her mother was contacted by a person posing as an SBI official, who asked for her PAN card details and account details.
The man told the complainant’s mother that her bank account would be blocked as she had not linked the two. “After she gave the details, several OTPs were sent to her phone and she was asked to fill them. Later, she received several transaction messages,” the woman wrote in her complaint.
In another case involving an 80-year-old man, a man posing as a bank official asked for his bank card details to “link his account”. The man eventually convinced him to part with his Aadhaar details as well. “I had a bank account with the Punjab National Bank branch in Pitampura. He called me three times and took down the details. I lost Rs 36,499 in four transactions,” he wrote in his complaint.
According to officers, in many cases, the victims are bombarded with jargon and offered gift vouchers and additional perks like a platinum card so they part with their details. Kislay Chaudhary, who routinely advises the Delhi Police on cyber crime-related matters, claimed that the fraudsters get in touch with database sellers and purchase the data of hundreds of people in bulk to target them. “They purchase this data in bulk and start making vishing (voice phishing) calls. They scare them into parting with their bank card details like the ATM pin, CVV and account numbers. The Delhi Police receives at least 15-20 such calls on a daily basis. The accused keep the victims confused in technicalities of linking Aadhaar cards and trick them into revealing bank account details.”
A Class X student from a Gurgaon school recently filed a complaint with the cyber cell unit, claiming that his grandfather had been duped of Rs 50,000. “I know there is a big fault of nana but still they are too old (sic). The unknown man called my nana and offered benefits. I would like you to help me,” the boy wrote in a mail to the investigators.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
According to officers, in many cases, the victims are bombarded with jargon and offered gift vouchers and additional perks like a platinum card so they part with their details. (Representational Image)
