A construction contractor in Ahmedabad has alleged that over Rs. 1.07 crore was fraudulently transferred from his company’s bank account after an unidentified individual got his mobile SIM card deactivated and gained unauthorised access to his net banking, according to a complaint filed with the Cyber Crime police.
Jitendrakumar Kantibhai Patel (53), a resident of the Science City Road area, said the incident occurred between the night of March 21 and the afternoon of March 22. Patel, who runs Kivya Construction Company, maintains a cash credit account with a private bank for business transactions.
According to police officials, the accused allegedly impersonated Patel and contacted the telecom service provider to block his Vodafone e-SIM linked to his mobile number without his knowledge. During the period the SIM remained inactive, the accused is believed to have accessed his net banking credentials.
Patel said he first noticed the issue on the night of March 21 after receiving a message about the SIM being blocked. Assuming it was a network issue, he continued using an alternate SIM. The next day, he visited a Vodafone store and obtained a replacement SIM.
However, on March 23, while reviewing the company’s bank account with his accountant, Patel discovered that Rs. 1.07 crore had been transferred to nine different accounts through 15 transactions between 10:42 pm on March 21 and 2:45 pm on March 22.
The transactions were unauthorised, and the funds—part of a bank-provided cash credit facility—were siphoned off without his knowledge.
The FIR states that the transfers were made via NEFT and IMPS to accounts across multiple banks. Patel immediately contacted his bank manager, who suspected cyber fraud.
A complaint was subsequently registered on the National Cyber Helpline (1930), following which the case was taken up by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ahmedabad.
Police said a case has been registered against an unidentified accused under relevant sections related to cheating, identity theft, and unauthorised access to computer systems. Efforts are underway to trace the accused and track the flow of funds.
Officials added that further investigation is ongoing to identify those involved and recover the defrauded amount.