CHENNAI: A caller posing as an Income Tax official swindled `6 lakh from the bank accounts of three of a family after getting their bank details by threatening arrests in the wee hours on Wednesday.
Police said the complainant Henry, who works as a manager in the technical division of a private channel, had believed the caller was an IT official and shared the bank details and ATM card PINs with him.
“The called told him that he is from the Income tax office and that he knows Henry had a lot of illegal money in his house and bank accounts. Henry tried to avoid the call, but the stern voice of the man made him feel that it was a genuine call. The man had told Henry to furnish the details of his bank accounts,” said an investigation officer.
Scared by the man on the other side, Henry told him that he had some jewels for his daughter and money in his wife’s account and that he did not make any illegal money.The fraudster asked for details of his wife’s and daughter’s bank accounts. Henry provided all details along with username and password for his internet banking. He had pinned all the bank accounts to his mobile number.
“The man had told that an email has been sent to his account and that he should furnish the required details. While he was filling the details, Henry received multiple messages that money has been withdrawn,” said the police officer.First, around `3 lakh was transferred to the account of his wife and from there to five different accounts and the transactions happened with his daughter’s bank account too.
The police said that around 15 different transactions were made to multiple accounts. Usually the bank frauds happen with Purchase On Sale (POS), but since Henry furnished all details, the money was directly transferred to other accounts. Henry tried calling back the number but it was switched off. Realising that he was cheated, he approached the Kotturpuram police.
“Henry said that around `6 lakh had been withdrawn from the accounts of all three together. He has his account in the private bank in Besant Nagar branch. Usually whenever there are multiple transactions from a single account, the people in the bank will call the customer to check if they had done the transactions,” said the investigation officer.
2 cops attacked in different incidents
Chennai : Three policemen were attacked by the public in two different incidents that were reported in the city on Tuesday. Traffic Enforcement Wing head constable Rajinikanth and constable Gnanasekar were conducting a vehicle check. “As they asked a lorry driver to remove the vehicle from the road, he got into a fight with the police and attacked them. he was later arrested,” said an officer. In another incident, the police control room received a call about a drunk brawl between two men at a TASMAC shop at Erikanchery Highways. “Sub-Inspector Gnanadas reached the spot and questioned the duo, when one of them attacked him,” said a source.
Campaigns not fruitful
The investigation officers said that inspite of continuous awareness campaign across the State, even the educated ones are falling into the trap of online frauds
Minor girl rescued from marriage
Chennai : The Social Welfare Department and the police rescued a 16-year-old girl, stopping her marriage scheduled for Wednesday morning in the city. Alerted through the child line number that a 16-year-old girl was getting married to her 26-year-old relative at a temple in the city, the officials reached the spot and rescued the girl.