Elderly businessman in Ludhiana loses ₹7.76 lakh

A 60-year-old businessman in Ludhiana lost ₹7.76 lakh to cyber fraudsters posing as bank employees. The police have opened a case following the victim's complaint. Inderpal Singh, a resident of Guru Nanak Nagar, received a call from someone pretending to be a bank worker on February 20. The caller claimed that his bank account was at risk of being hacked and asked for his debit card details to secure it. Singh refused to share any information and hung up. He received another similar call the next day, which raised his suspicions. To protect himself, he turned off his phone. When he switched it back on hours later, he discovered that a large sum had been withdrawn from his account without his knowledge. The police are investigating how the transaction could have occurred. Inspector Satvir Singh from the cyber crime unit suggests that it is possible the victim may have clicked on a malicious link, giving the fraudsters access to his account. Authorities are tracing the bank accounts where the stolen money was deposited to catch the criminals involved. The case has been filed under sections related to cheating in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).