Cloned Service Traps: Chandigarh Senior Citizen Couple Defrauded Of Lakhs By Fake AC Technician

Chandigarh: A senior citizen couple from Chandigarh’s Sector 23-C has allegedly lost more than ₹2.26 lakh after falling victim to an online fraud in which scammers impersonated customer support executives from a well-known home services platform.

The Cyber Crime Police Station in Sector 17 has registered a case and initiated a technical investigation into the phishing operation. Authorities have already frozen one of the suspected beneficiary bank accounts while tracing the movement of the stolen money through multiple financial channels.

Fraud Began with Fake AC Service Call

According to the police complaint, Harish Chander Madan received an unsolicited phone call from a person claiming to represent Urban Company, a popular home services provider. The caller, who introduced himself as Amit Kumar, offered a discounted air-conditioner servicing package ahead of the summer season.

After gaining the couple’s confidence, the fraudster convinced them to complete what was described as a mandatory digital verification process for booking the service. During the process, the victims were asked to click on links and enter sensitive banking details, including authentication credentials.

Investigators believe the information was used to gain unauthorized access to multiple bank accounts.

Over ₹2.26 Lakh Withdrawn

Police said unauthorized transactions were carried out between May 11 and May 12. The fraudsters allegedly transferred ₹1,74,149 from two bank accounts belonging to Harish Chander Madan, maintained with Punjab National Bank and Bank of India.

An additional ₹52,414 was withdrawn from three separate bank accounts held by his wife, Madhu Madan, taking the total financial loss to ₹2,26,563.

The couple discovered the fraud after reviewing transaction alerts received on their mobile phones and immediately reported the incident through the national cybercrime helpline.

Police Freeze Suspect Bank Account

Cyber investigators tracked the flow of funds to multiple bank accounts reportedly linked to individuals identified as Sachin, Sajit Ahmed, and Akhtar Khan.

Officials confirmed that one UCO Bank account associated with the investigation has been frozen to prevent further withdrawal of funds. Investigators are now examining bank records, mobile phone numbers, IP addresses, and digital transaction logs to identify those behind the scam.

Case Registered Under BNS

A criminal case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to cheating, impersonation, and criminal conspiracy.

Police are also investigating whether the same fraud network has targeted other victims in Chandigarh or neighboring states using similar methods.

Cyber Police Issue Public Advisory

Following the incident, cybercrime officials have urged citizens, particularly senior citizens, to remain cautious when receiving unsolicited calls offering discounted home services or requesting online payments.

Authorities advised consumers to avoid sharing banking credentials, OTPs, PINs, passwords, or clicking on links sent by unknown callers. Genuine service providers generally process bookings and payments only through their official mobile applications or websites.

Anyone who suspects cyber fraud should immediately report the incident by calling the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or by filing a complaint through the official cybercrime reporting portal to improve the chances of recovering lost funds.

The investigation remains ongoing.