A textile trader from Ahmedabad allegedly lost ₹1.85 lakh after cyber fraudsters impersonating ICICI Bank officials and luring him with a fake reward points redemption offer.
According to a report by TukuTouch, the victim, identified as Naranbhai Bhagwanji Purohit, received a phone call from a woman claiming to be from ICICI Bank’s credit card department. The caller informed him that his credit card had accumulated 4,000 reward points and offered to help him redeem them online.
To process the redemption, the fraudster allegedly asked him to share photographs of his PAN card and both sides of his ICICI Bank credit card over WhatsApp. After receiving the documents, she sent him a link and instructed him to complete an online verification form.
Believing the request to be genuine, Purohit entered his personal and financial information, including his Aadhaar and PAN numbers, credit card details, contact information, and the OTP received on his registered mobile number.
Shortly after submitting the details, his phone reportedly became unresponsive. He then received two transaction alerts showing unauthorized debits of ₹1.50 lakh and ₹34,999 from his credit card, taking the total loss to ₹1.85 lakh.
The trader immediately contacted ICICI Bank’s customer care, following which the bank blocked his credit card to prevent any additional fraudulent transactions. The incident was also reported to the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930).
Since the victim was out of Ahmedabad on a business trip, his nephew lodged a complaint at Kalupur Police Station on his behalf. Police have registered an FIR against unidentified accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
Investigators are now examining the mobile number used by the caller, the WhatsApp link, banking records, and other digital evidence to trace those responsible for the fraud.
The case serves as another reminder that cybercriminals frequently exploit fake reward point redemption schemes to steal banking credentials. Authorities have advised people never to share card details, PAN, Aadhaar information, or OTPs with callers claiming to represent banks. Customers should always verify such requests directly through their bank’s official customer care channels.
