Fraudsters pull out new tricks to con credit card holders

Tricksters are trying new ways to dupe bank customers even as the banks come up with fresh security features like One Time Password (OTP) to make transactions secure.

Their new modus operandi is to send a text message to a bank customer with falsified information stating that OTP was created for his or her credit card. The message says the OTP can be used for online transactions.

This is followed by a call to the customer’s mobile phone claiming it to be made from the bank. “Naturally, customers tend to believe this to be a genuine call due to the message landing earlier and they pass on whatever information like credit card number and PIN number the caller seeks,” the police said.

Cool operation

Once the credit card details reach them, the tricksters make online transactions passing the credit payment burden onto the card holders. A software professional from Hyderabad, Devraj, fell prey to an online gang exactly in this manner five days ago.

Monday being the first working day of the week, Devraj was occupied speaking to two clients in his office when he received a text message on his mobile phone from his bank. It conveyed that equal monthly instalment of his car loan was debited from the account.

“That is every month’s routine but within a minute another message followed saying one time password was created for my credit card for making online transactions,” recalled Mr. Devraj. Even as he was wondering whether to use the OTP, a phone call came claiming that it was from his bank.

Quick work

A woman sought his credit card and PIN details over the phone. Within minutes of passing on the information, the techie got another message stating his credit card was used for making Rs. 9,520 online transaction. Realising that he was taken for a ride with a phone message and call, he rang up his bank and got the credit card blocked to check its further illegal usage.

Police registered a criminal case and are trying to track the conmen behind the offence. Yet questions remain as to how they knew with which bank Mr. Devraj has a credit card and his mobile phone number registered with the bank.