‘Police or cyber cell, doesn’t matter, just give me OTP’:Cyber fraudster attempts to dupe Bhind inspector; officer engages him for 20-min call to trace location

“Sir, I am speaking from the Credit Card Department Online Service, Mumbai… your card has expired and needs to be updated.” This was a call from a cyber fraudster who tried to trap Shivpratap Singh Rajawat, TI of Umri, Bhind. Posing as an SBI Credit Card Online Service officer, he claimed that the card’s validity had expired. TI Rajawat immediately realised it was a scam and planned to catch him. Engaged fraudster for 20 minutes He kept the fraudster engaged for 20 minutes to find an opportunity to trace his location. During this time, the fraudster repeatedly asked for OTPs and bank-related details, while the TI continued the conversation and worked on tracking his location. Meanwhile, the fraudster was preparing to hack the officer’s account and steal money. At the same time, TI Rajawat monitored his every move while trapping him. During the conversation, he traced the fraudster’s location to the forests of Jamtara, Jharkhand, a region notorious for cybercrime. As soon as the location was identified, the TI contacted Jamtara Police in Jharkhand, and a team was sent to the spot. However, the fraudster fled before the police arrived. From Jamtara to Kolkata: The Web of cyber fraud During the investigation of the attempted cyber fraud targeting the Umri TI, police found key clues. A technical inquiry revealed that the fraudster was operating from Jamtara, a well-known cybercrime hotspot in Jharkhand. Interestingly, the mobile number used by the fraudster was registered under the name of Rekha Mandal in Kolkata. This indicates that this cyber fraud network may be spread across several states. Police are now investigating in both Jamtara and Kolkata to identify all criminals linked to this network. On the afternoon of 26 November, TI Shivpratap Singh Rajawat was busy with legal work when he received a call from an unknown number. As soon as he picked up, the caller confidently said, “Sir, I am calling from the Credit Card Department Online Service, Mumbai. Your card has expired and needs to be updated. I need some information.” TI Rajawat instantly recognised it as a cyber fraud attempt but decided to continue the conversation to catch him. They were trying to locate the fraudster by keeping him engaged. The cyber fraudster kept asking for OTP repeatedly — excerpts from the conversation: Cyber Fraudster: “Sir, I am speaking from the Credit Card Department Online Service, Mumbai. Your card has expired and needs to be updated. Please provide your card’s series number.” TI Rajawat: Provided the series number/card number of an old, inactive credit card. Cyber Fraudster: Sir, your registered credit card number has been taken. There is some additional information required, please provide that as well. TI Rajawat: Tell me, what else do you need? Cyber Fraudster: Turn the card over. There will be a three-digit number below a white strip. Provide that. TI Rajawat: Oh, that number is the CBC number. How can I share that? Cyber Fraudster: No sir, that’s not the case. We are calling from the department. The card’s validity will be extended only if you provide this number. If not, the card will be blocked soon and you won’t be able to use it. TI Rajawat: I cannot share the CBC number. Please update it using the details you already have. Cyber Fraudster: Sir, you may be thinking a wrong person is calling, but that’s not true. I’m sending you a message, which will confirm that I’m calling from the SBI branch. Please tell me your date of birth. TI Rajawat: (Gave a fabricated date of birth) Cyber Fraudster: Sir, please tell me your date of birth? TI Rajawat: 13 October 1990. Cyber Fraudster: Sorry sir, this date of birth is not matching. What is recorded in your documents? TI Rajawat: 1 July 1990. Cyber Fraudster: Sir, this is also incorrect. Tell me what is recorded in your Aadhaar and bank documents. TI Rajawat: This is my date of birth, and it is also recorded in my Aadhaar and other documents. Cyber fraudster attempted OTP fraud The cyber fraudster then tried to misuse an OTP even though the date of birth did not match. Posing as a bank official, he asked TI Rajawat for an OTP. Rajawat refused. The fraudster repeatedly pressured him to reveal the OTP, but he firmly declined. Even after he informed the fraudster that he worked in the cyber cell, the fraudster said, “No problem, sir. Please give the OTP.” After the cyber fraud call, police became active and started an investigation. Cyber Fraudster: Okay sir, a six-digit number is being sent to you from the bank. Please tell me that number; you must be receiving a message. TI Rajawat: I haven’t received any such message. Cyber Fraudster: Sir, is this the same number registered in your bank account when you took the credit card? TI Rajawat: No, that wasn’t the number. It was another number, which is now closed. Cyber Fraudster: Sir, the OTP will come only on the number registered with the bank. TI Rajawat: That number has been closed for a long time. Cyber Fraudster: Okay sir, open your email ID. There must be a message with a six-digit number. Please give that; it has come from the bank. TI Rajawat: The number you are asking for is an OTP. It is not allowed to share it. Cyber Fraudster: You are right sir, but this is a bank message. Don’t trust me, trust the message and tell me the number. TI Rajawat: No, I cannot give that number. It is an OTP. TI Rajawat: You are calling from Jamtara. Cyber Fraudster: No, I am calling from Mumbai. TI Rajawat: I am speaking from the cyber cell. Cyber Fraudster: No problem sir, please give the OTP. TI Rajawat: You are speaking from Karmatand, Jamtara. Cyber Fraudster: No-no, not at all. TI Rajawat: Karmatand, near Asansol. Cyber Fraudster: No sir, please tell me the six-digit OTP, only then will the validity be updated. TI Rajawat: I am speaking from the cyber cell. Cyber Fraudster: Yes sir, you are from the cyber cell, no problem. I have to do my work, just tell me the OTP. TI Rajawat: Stay on the line for a while. Cyber Fraudster: Sir, don’t worry about all this. Please give me the OTP. TI Rajawat: Don’t teach me. (After this, the call gets disconnected.) TI says, ‘There was no fear of being caught’ According to Umri TI Shivpratap Singh Rajawat, the fraudster was extremely confident, and his tone was such that any ordinary person could easily fall into his trap. The TI said that even after being told he was speaking to the police, the fraudster showed no fear or hesitation. He continued to pressure him to reveal the OTP and kept saying, “Okay sir, whether you are police or from the cyber cell, it doesn’t matter… just tell me the OTP.”