Fake Axis Bank website busted by Kolkata cyber cell, ₹17 lakh recovered in raids

Kolkata Police’s cyber cell has cracked down on a gang that was running a fake Axis Bank website to con unsuspecting users and siphon off large sums of money. Acting swiftly on a complaint filed by a victim, police arrested four individuals and recovered electronic gadgets and cash worth ₹17 lakh.

The case came to light when Sandeep Kumar Agarwal from Alif Nagar searched for Axis Bank customer care on Google and landed on a fake website. On calling the number listed there, he was contacted by someone posing as a branch manager, who shared a WhatsApp link for "complaint registration." Once the link was clicked, the victim’s device was hacked, and ₹1,18,410 was stolen from his Union Bank credit card.

A special team led by ADC Mehtab Alam and Inspector Nadeem Akhtar launched a series of late-night raids in Kolkata on July 26 and 27. Four accused were arrested with cash, mobile phones, tablets, watches, and other electronics bought with the defrauded money. The gang was operating out of Kolkata and Jamtara — a known hotspot for cyber crime.

Investigators believe the gang sold the items in different parts of the city to convert the scammed money into untraceable cash. Police are continuing to trace the wider network involved in this phishing and fraud operation.