Scammers impersonated bank employees and tricked the victim into using a new smartphone and SIM card to activate a credit card.
Cybersecurity experts believe the phone was infected with malware that allowed scammers to bypass security and steal funds.
Authorities have launched an investigation and are urging the public to remain cautious against similar scams.
A 60-year-old Bengaluru man lost Rs 2.8 crore after falling for a scam. This comes after the scammers pretended to be bank employees and duped him into activating a credit card with the free SIM card and smartphone. Scammers approached the victim via WhatsApp and offered new credit card benefits, convincing him to use the provided phone and SIM card. He followed the instructions, and the scammers were able to access the account and withdraw the money. Here’s a detailed explanation of how the scam was carried out.
SurveyHow the scam happened:
The victim received a WhatsApp call from fraudsters posing as Citibank employees in November of last year. The scammers claimed that the credit card had been issued in his name and that it needed to be activated. The scammers then informed the man that in order to activate the card, his number needed to be changed to an Airtel number. The caller offered to send a new smartphone and SIM card to the victim’s address in order to facilitate this.
Also read: Ludhiana man loses Rs 14.9 lakh in smart health card scam: Here’s what happened
The victim agreed, and on December 1, he received a Redmi smartphone worth Rs 10,000, along with a SIM card. After that, he followed the scammer’s instructions. The victim then used the SIM card to activate the new credit card. Shortly after, the victim discovered that he was no longer receiving bank notifications and checked his account. He then discovered that Rs. 2.8 crore had been withdrawn without his permission.
According to cybersecurity experts, the Redmi phone sent to the victim contained malware. The malware allowed the scammers to copy the sensitive information shortly after the device was set up and the bank details were compromised. This allowed them to circumvent security measures and withdraw the funds undetected. The authorities have launched an investigation.
Tips to be safe:
In order to be safe from such scams, you should follow these things:
- Exercise caution: Banks never send free phones or SIM cards in exchange for free credit card activations.
- Personal information: All individuals are advised not to disclose sensitive information such as banking information or OTPs.
- WhatsApp calls: Do not accept random WhatsApp calls and communicate.
- Do not use other devices: Individuals are advised not to use SIM cards or phones received from unknown sources.
- Report suspicious activity: If you suspect something is fishy, notify the cybercrime department and the police for an investigation.
Follow Us
Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
