An unknown caller identifying himself as an operative of a telecom company asks the customer to send an SMS to 121 to get a new SIM card. Immediately the victim’s cell number is blocked. The SIM card gets swapped immediately to the fraudster. Using the pirated cell number, the fraudsters operate the online account through mobile banking applications. They generate a one time password using the captured cell number. Thereafter, they transfer various amounts to various accounts belonging to members of their gang in different places, usually in Bihar, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Prateep V. Philip, Additional Director General of Police, said: “Several cases of this type have come to light in the State. Our investigation revealed that a gang operating in tribal-dominated Jamtara district, Jharkand, operates the scam and we have written to the police authorities there as well. Mobile service providers like Airtel and banks like ICICI, HDFC, AXIS, Yes, and SBI are advised to enhance security protocols to prevent such calls through capture of phone identity. Mobile service providers should have confirmation protocols in place for over the air function (OTAF),” he explained.
“Fraudsters are able to get bank and personal details of customers using the loopholes and leakages in the system. All the security and financial agencies have been alerted about this new type of fraud. The general public are advised not to take calls from unidentified or suspicious numbers and not to act per as their suggestions,” said Mr. Philip.
Some employees of banks leak the data of customers to gangs which in turn copy this data including names, card numbers, and mobile numbers of banks to phishing and vishing fraudsters through storage devices, said officials.
The Economic Offences Wing of Tamil Nadu, as a part of a scam-busting initiative, is collecting details of such victims and modus operandi. Such frauds can be conveyed through mail to EOW scambuster@gmail.com or call and SMS to 9840584729.
