Cases of cyber fraud are increasing rapidly, with elderly individuals most often becoming targets. A shocking incident has emerged from Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh, where an elderly woman was ‘digitally
arrested’ by cyber criminals.
Thanks to the alertness and timely action of the staff at Punjab National Bank’s Civil Lines branch, the woman was saved from becoming a victim. The branch manager and staff acted swiftly to protect her hard-earned money.
Woman Arrives At Bank Seeking Large Transfer
The woman, identified as Chanchal Srivastava, visited the bank at around 1:30 pm on Monday and requested the transfer of Rs 1.2 crore to another account. Her request immediately raised suspicion among the staff.
The staff informed Chief Manager Vipin Kumar, who personally spoke with the woman. Upon checking, he found that the recipient account was a current account opened in October in Ranchi, Jharkhand, which appeared suspicious.
Cyber Crime Police Informed
The manager promptly contacted the cyber crime police. Together, the bank officials and police kept the woman engaged at the branch until late evening to prevent any unauthorised transaction.
Later, the manager managed to speak with the woman’s son, who lives abroad, to inform him about the situation and the suspected fraud. Even after the woman’s fixed deposit was broken, the manager ensured that the funds were not transferred to the fraudsters’ account, thereby saving her lifetime savings.
Retired Teacher With Significant Savings
Chanchal Srivastava is a retired teacher and had a total of Rs 1.27 crore spread across her savings account, fixed deposits, and senior citizen accounts.
It is suspected that cyber criminals intimidated her by threatening action related to income tax and subjected her to a so-called ‘digital arrest’, pressuring her to transfer the money. Although the woman has not provided clear details about the digital arrest, her lifetime savings were fully protected due to the vigilance of the bank staff.
PNB Zonal General Manager Deepak Singh praised the branch staff, stating that both the RBI and PNB have strict guidelines for large withdrawals. By following these protocols, the bank successfully prevented a major cyber fraud.
