Lucknow: 8-year-old boy siphons off Rs 35,000 from father’s account for online game

LUCKNOW: An eight-year-old boy siphoned off Rs 35,000, in numerous instalments over nine months, from his father’s account to clear various levels of an online survival game and inch closer to the promised grand prize.
The boy’s father, a temple priest in the city, noticed the missing money only after Rs 18,000 was debited from his bank savings account at one go.The father lodged a complaint with cyber police whose probe led to the startling discovery.
Nodal officer of Lucknow police cyber cell Abhay Mishra said they received a complaint about an online fraud on August 17.
“During investigations, it came to the fore that the complainant’s bank account was linked to an e-wallet through which payment was made to a third party in Mumbai. We also found that his mobile number was used for the transactions, which is possible only when the victim makes the mistake of sharing OTP in the event of fraudulent calls/ mails,” Mishra said.
The catch in this case was that the priest denied receiving any such call or mail, and neither was his accounts hacked. So, the only other possibility was an insider role — people who had access to the victim’s phone. In other words, his wife and son.
“We spoke to both. The woman, we found, could barely use a cellphone. The child, however, broke down when quizzed. He said he was hooked to this online game called Free Fire and spent his father’s money to qualify various levels,” Mishra said.
8-year-old had rented game for Rs 80
In December 2018, the boy downloaded and rented the game for Rs 80. He played whenever his father was home.
“The initial levels demanded Rs 500 or so each time. However, the boy said, after he cracked those stages, the game asked him to purchase virtual diamonds. Around August 14-15, I made a transaction worth Rs 18,000 to purchase the diamonds as prompted by the game,” he said in his statement.
Police said after the case was cracked, the priest withdrew the complaint. Both father and child have been counselled.
Free Fire is an online survival game that can be played on an Android platform. The last man standing wins a grand prize.