Newz Desk, Durgapur/Panagarh: In a shocking case of suspected cyber fraud, ₹8.50 lakh was allegedly siphoned off from the bank account of a businessman in Panagarh despite him receiving no suspicious phone call, sharing no OTP and clicking on no unknown link. The incident has triggered concern in the Panagarh area under Kanksa police station.
According to the complaint, Pradip Kumar De, a businessman and resident of Panagarh village, noticed multiple SMS alerts on September 1. When he checked the messages, he was stunned to find that a total of ₹8.50 lakh had been debited from his bank account in several transactions. De is a customer of a private bank located in the City Centre area of Durgapur. He claimed that he had neither shared any OTP with anyone nor disclosed any banking details over the phone to an unknown person. The circumstances surrounding the withdrawal have therefore raised questions about how such a large amount could have been transferred without the account holder apparently sharing an OTP or clicking on any suspicious link.
Following the incident, De immediately contacted the concerned bank and also lodged a complaint with the cyber division of Kanksa police station. He said he had also informed the matter to the relevant administrative authorities. However, the money has not yet been recovered, leaving the businessman worried about whether he will be able to get his savings back.
“I received only a few messages, and by the time I realised what had happened, the money had been debited from my account. The bank has also not provided the kind of assistance I expected. I have lodged a complaint with the police and am extremely worried. I have lost such a huge amount and cannot understand how I will recover it,” De said.
The Cyber Crime Division of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate has reportedly started an investigation into the incident. Investigators are examining the transactions and the method allegedly used to withdraw the money.
