KOCHI: Police have launched an investigation into a suspected phishing attack in which a Kochi-based doctor lost Rs 5 lakh last month. Officers are trying to uncover the account to which the money was transferred.
On December 23, the victim received an email saying that Rs 23.13 lakh had been debited from his Axis Bank account. The horrified doctor also found a customer care number listed in the email. “He contacted the given number and aired his grievance. Later, he received a call from another phone number. The caller identified himself as an employee with the customer care wing of the bank. After promising to retrieve the debited amount, he obtained personal details of the victim, including PAN card number and date of birth,” police said.
The victim was then asked to open the mobile app of the bank. On logging into the app, Rs 5.09 lakh was debited from the account. The victim realized the fraud only later. On approaching the bank, he came to know the email was fake and that no money had been debited as it claimed. On the advice of bank officials, the victim filed a complaint with police.
BY Toby Antony