Agartala: A septuagenarian paediatrician in Agartala has alleged that nearly Rs 7 lakh was transferred from his UCO Bank account through multiple transactions despite him neither using internet banking nor an ATM card and not sharing any one-time password (OTP).
Dr Satyajit Chakraborty said the transactions were carried out between July 6 and July 15 from his account at UCO Bank’s Purvasha branch.
Chakraborty said he had been in Kolkata for nearly a month for treatment of an eye ailment and had been advised to minimise mobile phone use during the period.
While he was in Kolkata, an unidentified person allegedly called claiming to be a bank representative and asked for an OTP. His wife received the call and told the caller that they would contact the bank directly if any verification was required.
“No OTP was given,” Chakraborty said.
The doctor said he returned to Agartala and visited the bank on August 7 to withdraw money, only to learn that nearly Rs 7 lakh had already been transferred from his account in several instalments.
According to Chakraborty, bank officials told him that he had become a victim of cyber fraud and that transaction alerts had been sent to his registered mobile number.
He questioned how the transactions could have been authorised when, according to him, he had neither opted for internet banking nor used an ATM card.
Chakraborty alleged that bank officials did not give him a clear assurance about recovery of the money and advised him to approach the police cybercrime unit.
He said he subsequently visited the cybercrime unit at A D Nagar, from where he was directed to East Agartala police station to lodge an FIR.
The doctor alleged that a police officer questioned why he had not checked messages on his mobile phone and attributed the incident to his “lack of awareness”.
Chakraborty has urged the authorities to investigate how the transactions were authorised, identify the beneficiary accounts and take steps to recover his money.
The case has also raised concerns over the handling of cyber fraud complaints involving elderly bank customers.
UCO Bank and the police authorities concerned could not immediately be reached for their response to the allegations.
