A Pydhonie-based businessman who supplies caps to Mumbai police became the latest victim of online credit fraud. Some miscreants allegedly misused his ICICI credit card and duped him of Rs24,770 by purchasing online airline tickets.
Asif Iqbal Topiwala, 37, of Topiwala & Sons, said, “I was at home with my family on April 28 when I received two messages from ICICI bank at 2.26 pm and 2.27 pm respectively stating ‘you have made a transaction of Rs11,600 to purchase online airlines tickets’ and ‘you have made a transaction of Rs13,170 to purchase online airlines tickets’. I was shocked since I did not buy any tickets by using my credit card.”
After receiving the messages, Topiwala immediately contacted the customer care centre of ICICI Bank. “I was told that I had purchased eight Deccan Airlines tickets to Bangalore for May 1. I immediately asked the bank to block my credit card and also sent a mail to the airlines to help me track down the culprits. I then lodged a complaint at Pydhonie police station,” he said.
Investigating officer Kailash Bondre said “After receiving the complaint, we laid a trap at Santa Cruz domestic airport and arrested one Mohd Asif Abdul Aziz Mudrawala, 35, with his seven family members.”
During questioning Mudrawala told the police that he had purchased the tickets for Rs16,000 from Javed Habib Kasmani of National Travels at Pydhonie.
Kasmani was arrested for fraud and remanded in police custody till May 23 by the court. The police are, however, on the lookout for his travel agent friend Raju who
allegedly booked the tickets.
k_dayanand@dnaindia.net
