Saran: In yet another alarming case of cybercrime in Bihar, a government school teacher from the Saran district was digitally duped of Rs 1.5 lakh after falling prey to a sophisticated fraud involving a fake ‘digital arrest’.
The victim, Kumar Prince, a BPSC-appointed teacher posted at RN High School Yogiyan in Ashani Panchayat under Rasulpur police station limits, was targeted on Thursday while making a credit card transaction. Originally a resident of Patna’s Vikram block, Prince was seeking assistance from customer care when the call was abruptly disconnected. Soon after, he received another call from a private number where the caller, claiming to be from the bank, had detailed knowledge of his credit card usage.
The caller, citing a “technical issue” and imminent card deactivation, instructed Prince to go online on WhatsApp. Once online, the teacher unknowingly began sharing One Time Passwords (OTPs), which the fraudsters used to siphon off money from his SBI credit card—Rs 51,000 twice and Rs 45,000 in a third transaction.
Prince has since lodged an online complaint with the cyber cell and informed the concerned SBI branch manager.
This incident is part of a growing pattern of cybercrimes known as ‘digital arrests’, where fraudsters impersonate officials or technical personnel to manipulate victims into compliance. Similar cases have recently surfaced across Bihar, including one where a retired government employee and his wife were digitally confined and defrauded of Rs 56 lakh under the pretext of a money laundering investigation.
Cyber police in Bihar are increasingly challenged by the surge in such technologically advanced scams, prompting calls for stronger digital literacy and law enforcement measures.
