Cyber Police Srinagar on Wednesday outwitted a fraudster who had duped a woman of Rs 52000 on pretext that her debit card would be blocked if not renewed online.
The woman from Srinagar received a call on her mobile from a person who introduced himself as a bank official and told her that the debit card is going to be blocked if she does not renew it.
“The victim provided the card details to the caller. The fraudster then asked the victim to share One Time Password (OTP) which she receives on her mobile. He assured the unsuspecting victim that all details will be been updated in the system to renewed debit card,” said Tahir Ashraf, Superintendent of Police Cyber Police Station Srinagar.
He said that the victim uses her debit card very often and under the impression to avoid any inconvenience for transactions, she innocently shared the OTP as well.
“Within no time after sharing the OTP, Rs 52000 were deducted from her bank account. Understanding the situation and fraud, she immediately contacted Cyber Police.
“The Cyber Police took immediate measures to recover the money and did it successfully” the SP said.
He urged people not to fall prey to the online frauds.
“There are several ways the fraudsters can breach the security and make fraudulent transactions to withdraw or transfer funds from one’s account or e-wallets. We have given all those things wide publicity in public interest,” he said.
Cyber Police have been active on social media in spreading awareness among masses about internet frauds.
“We have been updating twitter handle with several Dos and Don’ts. The OTP theft is on the rise across the country and many have become its victims.”
The SP said lakhs of rupees have been stolen using this method. “In OTP thefts, victims give away their OTPs or a malware — a software designed to corrupt or gain access to a system — is used to get the SMSes with the OTPs. The perpetrators, armed with the OTPs, then transfer money from the victims’ account,” he added.