NRI who used public wi-fi loses Rs 42 lakh to fraudsters

Hyderabad: The CID cyber crime police probing into the siphoning off of Rs 42 lakh from the account of a NRI customer found that the gang was operating from The Philippines.

CID hasn’t ruled out the role of insiders at ICICI Bank, Hyderabad, as the fixed deposits were liquidated with a simple e-mail of the customer without verification. A top TS police official   said the NRI was is based in the US.

“We suspect he may have used a public wi-fi through which hackers may have stolen his email user ID and password and got access to his SB account.” “They found about the fixed deposits and sent a mail to the bank to liquidate the FD.

Usually for NRI accounts there is no verification either by sending an OTP or by a phone call. The bank sent emails but as the account was in the control of the crooks, the complainant could not access it.”

The FD funds were transferred to Corpora-tion Bank in Chennai into the accounts of mules — locals assisting the Nigerian fraudsters sitting in the Philippines. The money was withdrawn and then transferred to the gang’s account. Though the police could trace the accused, due to jurisdictional and legal issues it is trying to get them extradited and recover the money.