Bank Fraud: Rajesh, 67, Loses Over Rs 900,000 in 15 Minutes

By Nasif Joomratty

Sunday, 30/11/2025 - 11:00

At the age of 67, Rajesh believed he had secured his retirement. One Wednesday morning in September, everything changed. In just a few minutes, Rs 903,288 vanished from his bank account, the story of a retiree confronting the formidable ingenuity of cybercriminals.

Rajesh's gaze drifts between the present and that fateful Wednesday, September 3, which turned his life upside down. This man from the North thought he had faced all of life's challenges, but he was mistaken...

On that day, in barely 15 minutes, over Rs 900,000 – precisely Rs 903,288 – the savings he had painstakingly accumulated over a lifetime, disappeared. Stolen by hackers with near-demonic skill. "It's a lifetime's worth of savings that's vanished," he says, his voice broken yet determined.

Rajesh never imagined he would experience such a thing. As a freelance consultant working online, he thought he was proficient with digital tools. How could he have guessed that behind a familiar logo and a perfect British accent lay such a sophisticated trap?

It all began with an email he received that Wednesday morning, informing him of transactions made on his account.

“They've made withdrawals, just like that, from abroad,” he recounts. Transactions he claims he never initiated. Intrigued but not yet alarmed, he decided to check with the bank the following morning. But the scammers wouldn't give him that time...

Earlier that morning, Rajesh had ignored an initial WhatsApp call labeled "Saudi Arabia Bank," despite the display of a local Mauritian bank’s logo. Shortly after reading the suspicious email, his phone rang again. This time, he answered. A WhatsApp call from a number starting with +44 appeared on his screen, showcasing the same familiar bank logo. "I saw the logo... I thought it was 'genuine'," he recalls.

The caller identified himself as an International Fraud Examiner based in England. His tone was professional, his accent impeccable, his explanations detailed and reassuring. "He told me he would address my problem, asking if I had time..." During the conversation, conducted in flawless English, the man warned him of risks to his bank account and encouraged him to secure it.

The receipt of the email bearing the bank's header convinced him that this was a legitimate agent. In reality, the opposite was happening: while Rajesh thought he was protecting his savings, significant withdrawals were being approved.

The scammer asked him to confirm details about his account and personal life. Despite the pressure, Rajesh remained cautious. "He asked me for information about my account numbers... I didn’t give it to him," he insists.

The Drama Within the Drama

Then fate added a layer of tragedy. The landline rang. On the other end, his wife, panicking. "My wife just called to tell me she had an accident... She said her car was hit. I was more upset..." Rajesh remembers, still shaken.

In shock, torn between two emergencies, his state of mind was deeply disturbed. The supposed representative called back, but Rajesh postponed the call. "My priority is to check on my wife because she had an accident." Fortunately, the road accident only caused material damage.

During this moment of confusion, the cybercriminals acted with chilling efficiency. Unbeknownst to him, they accessed his Internet Banking account. In a few clicks, they changed his phone number in the file, then his email address. The locks fell one after another. And they began to drain his savings.

The next morning, Thursday, September 4, Rajesh went to a bank branch to verify the alleged suspicious transactions mentioned in the email. He was stunned. The truth emerged: several large transfers had been made the day before to an unknown beneficiary, all in an extremely short time frame.

“In five minutes, these people have robbed you...”

On his bank statements, he detected significant anomalies. Total amount: Rs 903,288, swept from his account via Internet Banking. "A day that was truly heartbreaking," he summarizes bitterly.

Bank employees explained to him how the hackers operated. "How did they access my Internet Banking? They changed my phone number in the file and even my email address," Rajesh says, still incredulous.

The retiree claims to have received confirmation of these changes from bank staff. By altering his contact details, the scammers managed to bypass all security systems.

One question gnaws at him: "If these are hackers, how did they get my email and WhatsApp number? That’s something the bank normally has." He suspects poor management of the bank's system, which he believes facilitated access to sensitive personal information.

The Quest for Justice

The retiree finally went to the police station to file a complaint on November 26. He provided his statements to investigators. The bank informed him that an internal investigation had been initiated. Now, Rajesh says he awaits a resolution. In the meantime, he is consumed by doubt: has he lost a lifetime's savings forever?

Beyond the considerable financial loss, it’s the trust that has collapsed for Rajesh. Trust in the banking system, in technology, perhaps even in himself. He confided to Le Dimanche/L’Hebdo that he deleted all his banking apps from his phone.

"The bank needs to find a way to reassure clients... there should have been a control," he argues. Outraged, he points to what he considers a flaw:

"When I go to withdraw cash, the bank makes me fill out a form for identification... but Rs 900,000 was withdrawn from my account, and they didn’t find it necessary to ask for any identification?"

He believes that additional mechanisms should be put in place, especially for large transfers. "Block large online transactions..." he suggests, thinking of potential other victims.

Now, this resident of the North claims he no longer knows how to recover his savings. Today, his life has become hell, with his health issues, financial obligations, and anxiety about the future. "I have commitments... I’m going to the doctor. I was well prepared for tough days... but now they’ve diverted all that money..."

How does one live without money, with his account locked for about 90 days for the investigation? He also fears a long legal battle. "I don’t know what the bank will do and I’ll have to file a complaint in court. Now I might as well be dead," he laments.

Nevertheless, he remains determined to seek justice. For himself. For all those who could be the next targets.