OTP Orchestrated Online Outrage: Customer Defrauded of Tk 9.75 Lakh
A customer in Chattogram’s Chandgaon police station area has reportedly fallen victim to fraud after receiving a phone call from a man claiming to be a bank official. The scam gang allegedly obtained his OTP code, activated the EBL Sky Banking app, and withdrew nearly Tk 1 million from his account.
In connection with the incident, a case has been filed in court naming one “bank official” Tanzimul Islam Khan and two to three unidentified persons.
On Monday, August 11, the victim, Ruhul Amin of Char Rangamatia, lodged the case with the Chattogram Cyber Tribunal before Judge Begum Zeenat Sultana.
Speaking to Banglanews, plaintiff’s lawyer Selim Ullah Chowdhury said, “A petition was filed with the tribunal accusing them of embezzling Tk 975,000 from his account through the activation of the EBL Sky Banking app. The tribunal recorded the plaintiff’s statement and instructed the Counter Terrorism Unit of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) to investigate the case.”
According to the case statement, on July 29 at around 10:30 am, a call came to the mobile phone of Ruhul Amin’s wife from the number +889638-627424. The caller identified himself as Tanzeemul Islam Khan, an officer at the Gulshan Corporate Branch of Eastern Bank. When asked whether she had an account at the bank, she handed the phone to her husband, Ruhul Amin.
The fraudster told him that his bank account had been suspended and needed certain information to be reactivated. He later connected Ruhul Amin to WhatsApp numbers 01613-312811 and 01812-132830. Through various ploys, he collected personal information and used the OTP sent to the victim’s phone to activate the EBL Sky Banking app.
After activating the app, the fraudster first sent Tk 50,000 to bKash number 01830-342505. Later, by using the card-to-bKash “Add Money” feature, he withdrew another Tk 50,000. Subsequently, via the National Payment Switch Bangladesh (NPSB), he transferred Tk 875,000 in phases to other accounts.
Upon receiving transaction notifications, Ruhul Amin immediately contacted the bank and had the account suspended.
