The Cyber Crime Police Station in Chandigarh's Sector 17 has launched an investigation after a senior citizen couple allegedly lost ₹2,26,563 in a phishing scam carried out under the guise of an air-conditioner servicing offer.

Investigators believe the fraudsters posed as representatives of a well-known home service platform, convincing the couple to complete a fake verification process that ultimately gave the criminals access to their banking credentials. Police have already frozen one of the suspected beneficiary accounts while efforts continue to trace the remaining money trail.

Fake AC Service Offer Became the Entry Point

According to the complaint, Harish Chander Madan, a resident of Sector 23-C, received a phone call from a person claiming to represent a reputed home service company.

The caller allegedly introduced himself as Amit Kumar and offered discounted air-conditioner servicing ahead of the summer season. The conversation appeared professional and convincing, helping the caller gain the couple's confidence.

Investigators believe the fraudsters deliberately used the identity of a recognised service platform to make the offer appear genuine.

Victims Were Asked to Complete a Verification Process

Once trust had been established, the caller reportedly informed the couple that a digital verification process was necessary to confirm the service booking.

Police allege that the victims were persuaded to click on online links and complete what appeared to be routine banking verification steps.

Investigators believe these actions enabled the fraudsters to obtain sensitive banking credentials and authentication details, allowing them to bypass security controls and initiate unauthorised transactions.

Money Withdrawn From Five Separate Bank Accounts

According to investigators, the fraudulent transactions took place between May 11 and May 12.

Police said:

• ₹1,74,149 was allegedly withdrawn from two bank accounts belonging to Harish Chander Madan maintained with Punjab National Bank and Bank of India.
• An additional ₹52,414 was allegedly debited from three accounts belonging to his wife, Madhu Madan.

The couple discovered the fraud only after reviewing banking alerts and transaction notifications.

Police Freeze One Suspected Beneficiary Account

After the victims reported the matter through the National Cyber Crime Helpline, investigators immediately began tracing the movement of the stolen funds.

Preliminary findings reportedly linked the transactions to three beneficiary accounts associated with individuals identified as Sachin, Sajit Ahmed and Akhtar Khan.

Police successfully froze one UCO Bank account before the remaining balance could allegedly be withdrawn.

Investigators are now analysing banking records, IP addresses, mobile numbers and digital communication logs to identify the individuals responsible and determine whether the same accounts have been used in other cyber fraud cases.

Authorities Advise Citizens to Avoid Unverified Service Calls

Cybercrime officials have urged citizens, particularly senior citizens, to remain cautious when receiving unsolicited calls offering discounted home services or maintenance work.

Authorities emphasised that genuine service platforms generally handle bookings, payments, technician details and customer communication through their official mobile applications or verified websites rather than unsolicited phone calls requesting financial verification.

Consumers are advised never to share OTPs, banking credentials or authentication details with unknown callers and to immediately report suspicious activity to the National Cyber Crime Helpline by dialling 1930.

Home Service Scams Continue to Evolve

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting trusted household service brands to deceive customers into revealing sensitive financial information. By combining impersonation with convincing customer service scripts, fraudsters can bypass a victim's natural suspicion and gain access to banking systems.

Businesses operating digital service platforms should regularly review customer verification processes, fraud detection systems and compliance frameworks. Strengthening operational controls through auditing services in india can help organisations identify security gaps, improve customer protection and reduce opportunities for impersonation-based fraud.

Conclusion

The Chandigarh phishing case demonstrates how organised cybercriminals continue to exploit consumer trust by impersonating recognised service providers. Even a routine home maintenance request can become a gateway to financial fraud when users unknowingly share confidential banking information.

The incident reinforces the importance of verifying service requests through official channels, avoiding unsolicited payment links and reporting suspicious communications immediately to minimise financial losses.

Shunyatax Global Insight

Impersonation fraud is rapidly becoming one of the most effective forms of cybercrime because it targets human trust rather than technical vulnerabilities. Fraudsters increasingly imitate well-known brands, customer support teams and service providers to convince victims that their requests are genuine.

Shunyatax Global believes organisations offering digital services should continuously strengthen customer authentication, fraud monitoring and communication protocols. Independent auditing services in india can help businesses evaluate customer verification systems, identify operational weaknesses and implement stronger governance mechanisms that protect both organisations and consumers from evolving phishing and impersonation attacks.