The COVID-19 scare may have confined people to their homes, but there is no stopping cyber fraudsters from continuing their efforts to dupe gullible bank customers.
The fraudsters are not only seeking contribution in the name of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister relief funds by providing bogus QR codes and account numbers, but also seeking sensitive details from the public for postponing their EMIs against existing loans.
The police said that anonymous fraudsters were calling up people and seeking contribution to the relief funds set up in the name of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister by providing bogus QR codes and bank account numbers. “They even suggest that payments can be made through digital wallets and then send the account numbers or QR codes to be scanned. The account numbers they send belong to the fraudsters, who will withdraw the money,” said Aradhya, CID inspector in Mysuru who has been handling cybercrime and economic offence cases.
A number of fake bank account numbers are also shared through WhatsApp. The fraudsters send account numbers and IFSC codes required for digital transfers. Hence, people who wish to contribute to the relief funds have been asked to cross-check the authenticity of the account details before making any donation.
Ever since the government announced a three-month moratorium on repayment of EMIs on loans, bank customers have started receiving calls from fraudsters offering to postpone their EMIs. The modus operandi of seeking the card number and the OTP may not be new, but the fraudsters are using the present context to dupe gullible customers.
“Just like they used to ask for debit card number and OTP for renewing the card, they are now asking the same sensitive information from the public for putting off their EMIs,” said Mr. Aradhya. Some fraudsters, after obtaining the card number, ask for OTPs three times claiming that each OTP is to put off the EMI by a month.
Meanwhile, D. Roopa, Inspector-General of Police, Railways, has sought to create awareness about the cyberfraud, through Twitter. “There is a new cyberfraud that has come to light. Modus operandi is customers get calls requesting for OTP to postpone their EMI. Once the OTP is shared, amount is withdrawn. Requesting all to spread the message,” she tweeted.
Though no cases have been reported in Mysuru and Bengaluru so far, the police have cautioned the public to be wary of the fraudsters. “As of now, no complaints have been received, but fraudsters will take advantage of such situations. So, people must be careful,” said Joint Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, Sandeep Patil, who is in charge of the Central Crime Branch which looks into cybercrime cases.
