DHAKA — Elderly people and housewives are increasingly falling victim to cyber fraud through mobile banking scams, fake online investment schemes, fraudulent job advertisements and social media manipulation, a review of at least 15 police cases shows. Victims are being bilked of their savings through job scams sourced from social media contacts and newspaper advertisements, bogus lottery promises, offers of discounted gift packages sent from abroad and mobile banking PIN theft.
Investigators said elderly people and housewives, along with people from various other walks of life, are being victimized by cyber fraud. The investigation found that the fraud rings target housewives and elderly people by exploiting their limited technology skills, lack of independent decision-making power on financial matters and unfamiliarity with online security.
Case 1: Asmina Khatun, 34, a housewife from the Kotwali area of Mymensingh who now lives in Dhaka’s Mirpur neighborhood, lost 1.1 million taka after falling into an elaborate cyber fraud trap. On the afternoon of Dec. 9, she received an online job offer via WhatsApp from a foreign number. After various inducements, she was added to a Telegram group, where a person posing as a “receptionist” gradually persuaded her to invest money. Between Dec. 10 and Dec. 22, she transferred about 1.1 million taka into bKash and bank accounts. Each time she was assured that depositing a specified amount would return her money with profit. When the scammers demanded yet more money, Khatun became suspicious. She tried to recover her funds, failed, and filed a police case.
Khatun said she had started the online work to help ease financial strain at her parents’ home as well as her own family. After clicking on the advertisement, the scammers added her to WhatsApp and initially paid her 300 taka for a “rating task.” They then moved her to a Telegram group and returned 1,040 taka on an 800-taka investment. That built her trust. She then invested 3,000 and 12,000 taka in stages. Lured by promises of bigger profits and reassured by other group members, she sent money without telling her husband and borrowed from relatives. After she handed over 12,000 taka, the scammers demanded another 30,000 taka. She grew suspicious but kept paying in hopes of recovering her earlier funds. She ultimately lost 1.1 million taka.
Case 2: Khandaker Kamruzzaman, 77, a retired Bangladesh Police officer from Mirpur in Dhaka, lost 280,000 taka after being lured by an offer to buy a car in installments. On Dec. 5 last year, he saw an advertisement in a national daily and contacted the number listed. The scammers promised to deliver the car and took money in stages, citing advance, registration and delivery charges. Between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8, he sent money to multiple Nagad numbers. After the car never arrived and the scammers cut off contact, he realized he had been duped and filed a police complaint.
Why elderly people and housewives are at risk: Analysis of cases and investigations shows specific factors make these groups more vulnerable. Many elderly people use smartphones but cannot identify security settings, phishing links or fake websites. Housewives face the same issue. When confronted with messages such as “you’ve won the lottery,” “a gift has arrived from abroad” or “your bank account will be closed,” they often lack the technical means to verify the claims and fall into the trap.
Scammers’ tactics: Scammers methodically build relationships with their targets. They first identify themselves as representatives of trustworthy organizations — bank officials, mobile company employees or law enforcement personnel. They then build trust by reciting partial personal information by phone or text. Victims are pressured with warnings that their account will be closed or they will suffer major losses unless they act quickly. Without thinking, victims hand over one-time passwords or money. Scammers also operate “work from home” schemes and, in some cases, build social media friendships that evolve into fake romances before draining the victims’ money.
Where to report fraud: Law enforcement officials said scammers are changing tactics in step with technology and that awareness is essential to fight the problem, particularly for elderly people and housewives. Cyber fraud victims should quickly file a general diary or case at the nearest police station. They can also report to the Police Cyber Crime Unit hotline at 01320010146-48 or to the verified Facebook page “Cyber Police Centre, CID, Bangladesh Police.” Jasim Uddin Khan, a special police superintendent with the Criminal Investigation Department, told Jugantor that under no circumstances should personal information, PINs or one-time passwords be shared by phone or message. Suspicious links should be avoided. He also recommended that anyone seeing a tempting offer consult tech-savvy family members before acting.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report