TL;DR: A man in Kolkata lost ₹15,96,028 after fraudsters posed as officials of a private bank on phone and WhatsApp video calls. He reported the fraud on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal on August 5, 2026. Police traced and held the money, and after a court order the full amount was returned on August 18.
What happened in Kolkata
A man in Kolkata lost ₹15,96,028 after fraudsters allegedly posed as officials from a private bank. The scammers contacted him through deceptive phone calls and WhatsApp video calls. Police said the fraud also involved manipulation of call-forwarding settings, which helped the criminals gain access to the victim's banking environment.
ThePrint, citing PTI, reported on August 20, 2026 that the victim reported the fraud promptly through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal on August 5, 2026.
How police got the money back
Investigators from Shyampukur Police Station and the North Division Cyber Cell began tracing the transactions immediately. They followed the movement of the money and placed the entire defrauded amount on hold before it could be moved further through multiple accounts.
Following an order from a city court, the complete ₹15,96,028 was returned to the victim on August 18. Police stressed that speed was critical: in cyber-fraud cases money can move between accounts extremely quickly, and recovery becomes harder once it passes through multiple layers.
The warning inside this case
Legitimate banks generally do not need customers to reveal sensitive banking information or follow suspicious instructions from unsolicited callers or video callers. If a caller claiming to be from your bank pushes you to act, hang up and call the number printed on your card or passbook. Related patterns are covered in our guides on KYC update scam calls, why you should never share an OTP, and how SIM swap fraud works.
If money has already left your account
The worst response is to wait and hope the problem resolves itself. Report it immediately through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and 1930. Our guide to the 1930 golden hour explains why the first hours matter, and what to do after you have been scammed lists every step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money did the Kolkata victim lose, and how much was returned?
He lost ₹15,96,028, and following a city court order the complete amount was returned to him on August 18, 2026.
How did the scammers reach the victim?
Police said the fraudsters used phone calls and WhatsApp video calls while posing as officials from a private bank.
What role did call forwarding play in this fraud?
Police said manipulation of call-forwarding settings was part of the fraud and helped the criminals gain access to the victim's banking environment.
Where should I report an online banking fraud in India?
Report it promptly through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and the 1930 helpline. In this case the victim reported on August 5, 2026, and police were able to place the money on hold.