Greater Noida Cyber Fraud: Elderly Residents Duped of Over ₹50 Lakh Through Malicious Links and Fake Calls

Elderly Residents in Greater Noida Fall Victim to Sophisticated Cyber Fraud, Lose Over ₹50 Lakh

Greater Noida: In a disturbing reminder of the growing threat of cybercrime, two elderly residents of Greater Noida were allegedly duped of more than ₹50 lakh in two separate but similar cyber fraud incidents, after fraudsters exploited malicious links and fake official calls to gain unauthorised access to their mobile phones and bank accounts, police officials said on Wednesday. Despite formal complaints and ongoing investigations, no arrests have been made so far.

Incident One: Malicious Link Leads to Remote Access and Major Financial Loss

The first case involved a 60-year-old man, a resident of Sector 36, Greater Noida, who reportedly lost ₹27 lakh after clicking on a malicious URL received via an SMS on December 21. According to the complaint submitted to the police, the message appeared routine and contained a link directing him to a webpage. Unaware of the risk, the victim clicked on the link, which allowed an unknown cybercriminal to gain unauthorised remote access to his mobile phone.

Police officials revealed that once access was obtained, the fraudsters swiftly entered the victim’s banking applications and executed multiple unauthorised transactions. “The suspects siphoned off ₹27 lakh through Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) in a short span of time,” said Vijay Singh Rana, Station House Officer of the Cybercrime Branch.

After noticing irregularities in his bank account, the victim immediately contacted his bank, leading to the freezing of his account to prevent further losses. He later filed a complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). Based on the complaint, a case of cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act was registered. Police said an investigation is currently underway to trace the accused and follow the money trail.

Incident Two: Fake Electricity Department Call Results in ₹23.5 Lakh Loss

In a similar case, a 59-year-old resident of Beta 2, Greater Noida, was allegedly cheated of ₹23.5 lakh after receiving a call from a cybercriminal posing as a customer care executive from the electricity department. The caller contacted the victim on November 19, claiming that a small payment of ₹13 was required for “electric meter verification” and sent a payment link to his phone.

Trusting the caller, the victim followed the instructions and entered his debit card details on the link. When the payment failed, he attempted the transaction again using his wife’s card, but the payment did not go through. However, later in the evening, the victim discovered that ₹19.5 lakh had been withdrawn from his bank account and ₹4 lakh from his wife’s account, through multiple unauthorised transactions.

Following the incident, the victim lodged a complaint on the NCRP, after which police registered a case under Section 318 (cheating) of the BNS along with provisions of the IT Act at the Cybercrime Branch police station. Officials said efforts are being made to identify the perpetrators and recover the stolen funds.

Key Factors Behind the Cyber Fraud

Several common factors emerged from both incidents, highlighting the evolving tactics of cybercriminals:

• Targeting of senior citizens, who are often less familiar with advanced digital threats

• Use of malicious links to steal personal and banking data

• Impersonation of government officials to gain trust

• Starting with small payments to lower suspicion

• Rapid transfer of funds through IMPS, making recovery difficult

• Lack of immediate awareness about remote access fraud

Rising Concern and Need for Awareness

Police officials have expressed serious concern over the increasing number of such cases and have urged citizens, particularly elderly individuals, to exercise extreme caution. Authorities have advised people to avoid clicking on unknown links, never share banking or card details, and verify calls claiming to be from government departments.

“These incidents underline the urgent need for cyber awareness and digital literacy, especially among senior citizens, to prevent large-scale financial losses,” police officials said.

Conclusion

The two incidents from Greater Noida clearly demonstrate how cybercriminals exploit trust, technology, and lack of awareness to commit high-value financial frauds. Strengthening public awareness, encouraging prompt reporting, and enhancing cybersecurity measures remain crucial in combating the growing menace of cybercrime

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