Hyderabad: A Hyderabad resident was refunded their money after their swiftness to lodge a complain over losing Rs 1,18,196 in a credit card fraud. The resident approached the Hyderabad cybercrime unit, national cybercrime reporting portal (NCRP).
According to the police, the victim received a call from an unknown number, with the caller posing as a bank agent, asking if they wanted to increase their credit card limit.
After persuasion, the victim agreed to increase their credit card limit. They were then directed by the fraudster to install an APK file, via WhatsApp, following which they asked for the victim’s personal details, including card number. The fraudster sent the APK file via WhatsApp, and upon installing the app, Rs 1,18,196 was deducted from the victim’s Axis Bank credit card.
Upon realising that it was a fraud, the victim promptly alerted the Hyderabad cyber crime police, using the NCRP, on Wednesday, November 13.
Responding to the complaint, the cyber crimes police first removed the malware that was installed on the victim’s smartphone. Following up with the transaction, the police identified that the amount debited from the credit card had been used for a purchase on the e-commerce website Flipkart.
The cybercrime police flagged the transaction to the e-commerce firm’s authorities and froze the amount, which was refunded to the victim’s credit card quickly. The refund was noticeably made within one day, even not requiring to wait for a court order.
Hyderabad man loses over one lakh in cyber crime fraud
Hyderabad police advise citizens to not share any personal information with strangers and to be vigilant to reduce the chances of falling prey to cyber crime.
The police urged the public to never respond to emails with embedded APK links and refrain from installing apps which are forwarded or sent through WhatsApp. Devices can be compromised, allowing fraudsters to use these apps to steal data.
Police added that legitimate banks and government officials will never ask for customers’/citizens’ details.
Citizens are advised to never share user ID or password or debit/credit card number or PIN or CVV or OTP etc. If any of these are compromised, immediately change the credentials to prevent further risks.
