Card fraud continues despite warnings by banks, police

Educated middle-class families, senior citizens main victims

(File photo)

Despite frequent warnings by banks and the police, there has been no let-up in credit/debit card fraud in Kozhikode district. On an average, three such cases are getting reported every a month.

Investigators say educated middle-class families and senior citizens are the main victims of credit/debit card fraud. Many of the victims are yet to get their lost money.

Cyber Cell officials said the majority of cheating incidents took place on days closer to the dates of renewing cards. Though most victims were aware that banks would never call them to seek personal information to reset card details, they shared their confidential information because of the convincing calls by fraudsters.

Don't reveal OTPs

An officer attached to the Cyber Cell said most of the complainants lost their money from the bank account when they revealed the one-time password (OTP) received on their mobile phones. “We are surprised to see that such trickery still continues...people are yet to be aware of the seriousness of such ploy,” he said.

Most of the victims, according to the police, believed fake callers as they were experts in communicating in English and Hindi. Also, women tele-callers win the trust of such people who do not have much knowledge about the extent of trickery currently taking place in the sector.

The callers also approach customers in the name of linking Aadhaar number and address update while only a few reject such calls instantly. Officials pointed out that many trusted their communication style as they begin the conversation by revealing the personal details of the account holder and basic information about the card. Many a time, such an introduction wins the trust of customers and they share their details with the caller.

Experts in the banking sector pointed out that customers who could realise the fraud soon after the call, even after revealing the OTP, could try to secure the account by informing the police about it.

The police have the mechanism to alert the banking wallet system administrators and withhold the transaction.