A cyber fraud case has been reported in Gorakhpur, where cyber criminals allegedly withdrew Rs 1.35 lakh from the bank account of an engineer employed with the railway department. The incident came to light when the victim received transaction alerts on his mobile phone while attending a Ramayan recital.
The victim said he was attending a religious programme when multiple messages regarding deductions from his bank account were received on his mobile phone. Initially, he suspected a technical issue, but after checking account details, he found that Rs 1.35 lakh had been withdrawn through multiple transactions.
After the incident, the victim immediately contacted the bank and the cyber helpline. A police complaint was also lodged in connection with the matter.
The cyber cell of Uttar Pradesh Police is investigating the case. Police are trying to determine how cyber fraudsters gained access to the bank account. Preliminary investigation has raised suspicion of online fraud and theft of information linked to digital banking.
Cases of cybercrime have reportedly increased in Gorakhpur in recent days, with incidents involving fraudulent calls, malicious links and OTP-based fraud being reported.
Experts said cyber criminals are increasingly using new methods to target people. In several cases, banking details are allegedly obtained through mobile hacking, fake applications, screen sharing and phishing links.
Police have appealed to the public to remain cautious. Officials advised people not to click on unknown links and not to share OTPs or bank details with anyone.
The incident has also triggered discussion on social media, with users expressing concern over increasing cybercrime and advising greater caution while using online banking.
Banking experts said that if money is suddenly debited from an account, customers should immediately inform their bank and block card and net banking services. They said prompt reporting increases the possibility of recovering the amount.
Police are currently examining transaction details and attempting to trace those involved in the cyber fraud.
