Hyderabad: Cybercrime police helped two victims recover money lost to fraudsters consecutively after they reported the fraud during the peak golden hour.
The first victim, a 26-year-old software engineer from Yousufguda, received a fake WhatsApp message on December 5, demanding a Rs 1,000 traffic fine.
A link to download an APK file titled “M-Parivahan” was used to steal One Time Passwords (OTPs).
The fraudsters used the OTP access and made transactions worth Rs 5,23,125.
The victim immediately called the cybercrime helpline 1930 and filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, after which notices were sent to ICICI Bank and Amazon Pay to halt or reverse transactions.
Police recovered the entire amount of Rs 5.23 lakhs and transferred it back to the victim.
53-year-old loses 1 lakh
A 53-year-old Amberpet resident similarly received an APK file on Wednesday, December 10, claiming to be an RBL Bank credit card update. Following the malware installation, he lost Rs 1,25,822 in the fraud.
According to the police, more fraudulent transactions were pending when the victim approached the cybercrime police station. The police officials then traced the fraud to Flipkart and Mobikwik, a digital wallet that offers digital gift cards for shopping apps.
The orders were subsequently cancelled, and Rs 1 lakh was refunded to the victim.
Public advisory
Hyderabad cybercrime officials issued a public advisory highlighting the importance of golden hour reporting, when the initial few minutes can determine whether you can be refunded. According to the release, reporting within this critical window gives police and banks the best chance to block, freeze or reverse the fraudulent transactions.
It is further recommended that users avoid downloading or installing APK files, especially ones shared on WhatsApp, SMS, or social media. Apps should only be downloaded via official sources. Additionally, one should refrain from saving bank details on e-commerce platforms.
