UCO Bank scam calls have targeted around 150 to 200 customers linked to the bank’s Kalamb branch in Ambegaon taluka, Pune district, with 20 to 25 customers reportedly losing lakhs of rupees. Senior citizens and women are said to account for a significant share of those affected.
The callers allegedly introduce themselves as representatives of UCO Bank’s Kalamb branch and tell customers that their accounts have been blocked or are about to be closed. They then offer to send a form and ask the customer to fill it in and return it through WhatsApp. The information supplied in the form is allegedly used to facilitate fraudulent withdrawals.
UCO Bank has a branch at Kalamb serving customers from villages including Lauki, Chandoli Budruk, Nandur, Vitthalwadi, Takewadi, Sakore, Mahalunge Padwal, Kalamb and Jadhavwadi. The branch’s service area has approximately 30,000 to 35,000 account holders, according to information cited in the report.
Customers have reportedly been visiting the branch for about a month to ask whether the bank had called them. Bank officials have told them that UCO Bank does not make such calls and have advised them to report the matter to the police. The reported pattern indicates that the fraud attempts are being conducted through impersonation and requests for banking information over WhatsApp.
Suhas Ashok Bhalerao, who was also reportedly defrauded, has filed a complaint with the cybercrime division of the Manchar police. The report does not state whether arrests have been made or whether the alleged withdrawals have been recovered.
Customer Sachin Bhalerao said he had received two fraudulent calls and that similar calls had been made to around 150 to 200 people in the village. He said customers were distressed as cybercriminals were adopting new methods to lure them into sharing information.
Kishor Kale, the UCO Bank branch manager, advised customers who notice an online fraud to contact the bank immediately. He said customers should block their bank accounts, debit or credit cards and net-banking facilities without delay. The bank’s helpline number provided in the report is 18001030123, and complaints can also be registered through the UCO SPGRS portal.
Kale said UCO Bank does not ask for an OTP, PIN, CVV, password or personal information through phone calls, SMS messages or email. Customers have been advised not to trust fraudulent calls or links and not to share banking details. Further action will depend on the complaint filed with the Manchar cybercrime division and the bank’s response to affected customers.
