Odisha woman defrauded of Subhadra money after sharing personal details

If you are sharing your personal details like AADHAAR number, photo and fingerprints with others for Subhadra money or any other government schemes sans caution, then chances are high that you will be the next target of cyber fraudsters. 

A 55-year-old resident of Nayagarh district, Ullas Behera made this mistake of sharing her personal information and has since been repenting because cyber frauds siphoned off her Subhadra money. 

She received a message on her mobile phone at 7.45 am on October 9, informing her that Subhadra money had been credited to her account. Her happiness knew no bounds and she visited the bank to withdraw the money. At the bank, she was told that there was not a single rupee in her account. Within minutes, her happiness turned into despair. 

The bank manager told her that the money had been credited to a different bank account linked with her AADHAAR number. 
She on Tuesday lodged a complaint at the Cyber Police station in Bhubaneswar, seeking justice.

Also Read: Odisha Congress MLA candidate alleges dowry torture, lodges complaint against 6

“When verified, I found that my mother’s Subhadra Yojana DBT was linked to Airtel Payment Bank. When we visited the payment bank, we were informed that money had been credited to an account opened by someone else. I tried to contact the person on his mobile number but it answered ‘there is no incoming call facility’,” said Sunita Pradhan, Ullas’ daughter. 

How it happened

The fraudsters might have opened an account using Ullas’ AADHAAR number, photo and fingerprints and linked it to Airtel Payment Bank. Using a different phone number, he has withdrawn Ullas’ Subhadra money. 

Not only Subhadra money but also financial assistance of other government schemes and cooking gas subsidy money are also being looted in a similar fashion. 

“From our preliminary investigation, we came to know that she shared her information with someone else. Using her details, he opened an account in Airtel Payment Bank. A phone number in her name was linked to the account and the money was withdrawn,” said Anjana Tudu, ACP, Cyber Police Station, Bhubaneswar. 

What cyber experts say 

According to cyber experts, no one should share their personal details with anyone, not at all when he is a stranger.

“They who are assisting innocent people at Jana Seva Kendra or other such centers are committing such crimes. They are defrauding these gullible people using their personal details,” said Prashant Sahoo, a cyber expert.