Rs.30 lakh vanishes overnight from Agra businessman’s account without OTP, calls

An Agra businessman is reeling from a major financial setback after ₹30 lakh was withdrawn from his account overnight in a silent cyber fraud. Dharmendra Kumar Agarwal, who operates a silver business, discovered the massive loss on Wednesday morning after reviewing a series of alarming SMS alerts about transactions from his account. Shocked, he immediately blocked his account and approached both his bank and the cyber police, yet remains without answers on how this breach occurred without any apparent lapse in OTP security.

Agarwal asserts that he did not receive any calls nor share an OTP with anyone, leading to questions over how cybercriminals managed to bypass this security layer. Preliminary investigations indicate that the money was spent on Amazon gift vouchers, a common tool used by cybercriminals to launder stolen funds. Police have reportedly reached out to Amazon for more details, though they await a response.

The businessman’s efforts to address the issue through the cyber police have left him frustrated. Despite waiting outside the cyber police station for two hours, he has received no clear update on the investigation. Meanwhile, the incident has shaken Agra’s trading community, with many calling for heightened cybersecurity protocols and better police response to cyber fraud.

This incident underscores the UP Police’s ongoing challenges in dealing with cybercrime. Traditional cases of physical theft often see immediate police intervention, but cybercrimes, even with significant financial losses, are often met with delayed or inadequate action. Agarwal, who has been unable to focus on his business since the incident, is still awaiting clear steps from the authorities to recover his funds and identify the perpetrators.

In light of repeated failures in cybercrime investigations, UP’s Special Secretary Nikunj Mittal recently directed that only cyber experts should handle such cases. The directive includes measures to ensure that cases presented in court are prepared by knowledgeable officers to prevent investigation setbacks. This call for specialized investigation and legal preparation reflects the increasing frequency of cybercrimes and the urgency to address them effectively.

For now, Agarwal continues to face uncertainty, hoping for swift action and meaningful assistance. His experience highlights the pressing need for police to strengthen their response to cyber threats and provide adequate support to victims of financial cyber fraud.