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Linking your credit card with UPI not only simplifies your payments but also gives you full control over your financial transactions, with real-time notifications for every transaction. Photo: Shutterstock
Delhi Police have arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly cheating people by sending them fake links and posing as a bank employee to obtain their credit card information.
This is how the scam worked:
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Contact: The fraudster contacted the victim and pretended to be a bank representative. -
Phishing link: The fraudster sent the victim a fake link claiming that it would activate his new credit card. -
Information theft: After the victim entered their credit card details into the fraudulent link, the scammer obtained the victim’s confidential information. -
Financial loss: Using the stolen information, the fraudster made unauthorized transactions, causing the victim to suffer financial losses of over Rs 99,000.
Police investigation:
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FIR Registration: The victim reported the incident to the police, which led to an investigation. -
Money trail analysis: Police traced the stolen money to a bank account and recovered Rs 14,500 from an ATM. -
Arrest: As a result of the investigation, the suspect was identified and arrested.
With the help of CCTV footage, the accused was identified as Deepak Kumar and a trap was laid to arrest him. An officer posing as a petrol station employee called Kumar and asked him to come for questioning. He was arrested on Tuesday, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan. Five mobile phones, 11 debit cards, four Aadhaar cards, two voter ID cards, along with Rs 60,000 cash and a car were seized from him. Police also found that he was already involved in two separate cyber fraud cases in 2017 and 2021, the officer added.
Here is another alarming incident: A woman from Mumbai lost Rs 700,000 in a credit card scam. She received a call from an unknown number posing as a bank employee. He offered her tempting offers for a new credit card, such as a free Android phone. The woman fell for this offer and shared personal details with him, such as her Aadhaar card. After receiving the call the same day, the woman activated her new credit card. Hours later, she received two messages from the bank informing her about a purchase worth Rs 700,000 that had been made using her credit card.
Such a scam is called phishing. It is where someone tries to steal sensitive information, such as your credit card details, through emails, text messages or phone calls by posing as a credible organization. Scammers often trick people into giving up personal information by creating a false sense of urgency, such as threatening to expire the account. Once the victim enters their credit card details on the fraudulent website or link, the scammer gains access to their account and can make unauthorized transactions.
How to protect yourself from this scam:
- Be cautious of unsolicited calls and emails. Do not click on links or download attachments from unknown sources.
- Verify the identity of the caller or sender. Never give your personal or financial information to anyone unless you are absolutely sure of the identity of the recipient and the legitimacy of the communication.
- Contact your bank directly If you receive a suspicious call or email claiming to be from your bank, contact them directly using the official contact information on their website or your bank statement.
- Monitor your account activity: Regularly check your credit card statements for unauthorized transactions and report them to your bank immediately.
- Use strong passwords and security measures. Protect your personal information by using strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts and enabling two-factor authentication whenever possible.
First published: 26 August 2024 | 12:49 IS
