​A retired professor and her elderly father, a former ONGC employee, were defrauded of nearly ₹12 lakh in a cyber scam in Mumbai. The fraudster, posing as an ONGC HR representative named Kuldeep, claimed that the father’s medical insurance required processing. He convinced the professor to download an app called ‘Customer Support’ on her father’s phone and transfer amounts totaling ₹12 lakh for insurance processing. After realizing the deception, the victims filed a police complaint, and an FIR has been registered for further investigation.

This incident is part of a troubling pattern of cyber fraud targeting senior citizens, particularly retired ONGC employees. Earlier cases have seen individuals defrauded of significant sums under similar pretenses, such as fake health card updates or KYC verifications. For instance, a retired ONGC employee in Punjab lost ₹14.9 lakh after being manipulated into filling out an online form for a smart health card.

These scams often involve impersonation of official entities, leading to unauthorized access to personal and financial information. Authorities are urging the public, especially senior citizens, to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of such communications. It’s advisable to refrain from sharing sensitive information over the phone or through unsolicited messages and to report any suspicious activities promptly to the cyber police.

Sources