Criminals have reportedly stolen ₹99,999 from the savings bank account of former Union Minister and DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran. A complaint was lodged in this regard with the Cyber Crime Wing of the Greater Chennai Police.
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Mr. Maran posted on X: “On Sunday, ₹99,999 was stolen from my @AxisBank personal savings account through a net banking transfer via @IDFCFIRSTBank-@BillDesk, bypassing all normal safety protocols. An OTP, the standard protocol for such transactions, was neither generated nor received by my linked mobile number. Instead, a call was made to the account’s joint holder - my wife’s number and the fraudsters had the gall to ask if the transaction had taken place. They pretended to be from the bank but had @cbic_india on their display picture. This confirmed my suspicion and I immediately proceeded to block all activities on my account.”
The MP said, “What puzzles me is how they accessed personal information and breached security protocols with such ease. This wasn’t a phishing attack nor were any sensitive details divulged. @AxisBank was clueless as to how the attack had happened nor could it give any solid explanation as to why the OTP was not required from my number for the transaction to take place.”
He added: ”If this can happen to someone who is aware of tech and cautious with private data, what about first-time digital users and senior citizens? Is anyone’s data safe? In the past, I’ve written to Hon’ble FM Tmt@nsitharaman and @FinMinIndia seeking help for cybercrime victims in my capacity as an MP. Today, as a victim, I demand accountability & justice.”
Quoting a newspaper report, he said financial frauds accounted for 75% of cybercrimes in India from January 2020 to June 2023. Reports of sensitive Aadhaar data being sold emerged in 2018, he said and added that bank data breaches and ransomware attacks have become regular news items.
“For India to excel in the digital world or to emerge as a FinTech hub, we need robust security and government action. What action is the government taking to protect our private data? Will @FinMinIndia & FM release a White Paper on this? We need answers and we need them now,” Mr. Maran said.
Meanwhile, the police said a complaint was raised by Mr. Maran. A case was registered in Cyber Crime Police Station, Central Crime Branch, on Monday. Investigation is under process to trace the criminals and a request had been sent to the payment gateway for retrieving the lost amount at the earliest.
The public are requested to be aware of online banking frauds and are advised to contact Cyber Crime Helpline number 1930 or register their complaint in the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal www.cybercrime.gov.in in case of any cyber-related complaints as advised by Sandeep Rai Rathore, the Commissioner of Police/Director General of Police, Greater Chennai Police, said a press release.
