Kottayam: The timely intervention of police and State Bank of India (SBI) officials prevented online fraudsters from embezzling over Rs 5 lakh from a doctor in Changanassery. The gang behind the scheme sent fake letters, claiming to be from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Supreme Court, demanding Rs 50 lakh as the penalty for alleged illegal funding linked to his bank account.
A fraudster impersonating a Mumbai police officer convinced the doctor that he was under 'virtual arrest' for the supposed offence.

The panicked doctor transferred Rs 5.25 lakh to the fraudster's account from the SBI branch at Changanassery. However, vigilant bank staff detected the suspicious activity, blocked the transaction, and alerted the police, saving the doctor effectively from the scam.

Speaking to the media, Kottayam SP Shahul Hameed said the doctor went to the SBI branch in Changanassery to initiate the transfer. The bank’s financial intelligence wing flagged the transaction after identifying suspicious activity in the recipient’s account. This prompted the bank officials to notify the police immediately.

The dramatic incident occurred on Tuesday. The doctor did not have internet banking access, so he went to the bank to initiate the transaction. SBI officials R Meena and Ranjith RB noticed the doctor appeared visibly distressed. Upon reviewing the recipient’s bank account details, they questioned the doctor, who insisted he was sending the money to a friend. However, when the intelligence wing raised further red flags, the bank officials promptly alerted the police.

Believing he was under virtual arrest, the doctor refused to heed the advice of both the bank staff and the police. The doctor was not ready to cooperate with the police when the local sub-inspector reached his house as alerted by the bank staff. Finally, the cop entered the house forcibly. The officer found that the doctor was on a call with a Hindi-speaking individual who was directing him to keep the door shut.

At the time, the doctor was sitting in front of his laptop, convinced he was under arrest. The police managed to reassure him and explained that he had fallen victim to a notorious scam.

According to Kottayam SP, the fraudsters accessed the doctor’s personal information, including his Aadhaar number, to orchestrate the scheme.