Palghar, Maharashtra: A shocking case of cyber fraud has surfaced in Mumbai, where a 56-year-old woman was duped of Rs. 46.64 lakh by a man impersonating a State Bank of India (SBI) employee. The crime took place in October 2024, and a formal complaint was recently filed at the Waliv Police Station in Vasai.
The victim, Sujata Tushar Kirtikar, a service manager residing in Borivali East, received a phone call on October 24, 2024, around 10:10 am, from a man claiming to be “Amit Vartak,” an SBI representative. The caller informed her that a payment she had attempted had failed and offered to assist by sending payment details via WhatsApp.
Unaware of the deception, Kirtikar proceeded to make the payment and followed the fraudster’s instructions. However, after the transaction, when she tried to reach him again, her calls went unanswered.
The fraud came to light when the real Amit Vartak personally visited the SBI Evershine branch and informed the victim that he had never contacted her. This revelation confirmed that the earlier caller was an imposter.
Subsequent investigation revealed that the fraudulent caller had defrauded Kirtikar and the SBI branch of a total sum amounting to Rs. 46,64,988. The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act for cheating and cyber fraud.
The suspect’s identity is still unknown, and efforts are ongoing to trace the individual linked to the mobile number used in the scam. No arrests have been made so far.
The authorities have urged the public to verify identities before responding to unsolicited banking requests and to report suspicious communications immediately.
