A Mangaluru bank manager lost Rs 2.19 lakh after clicking on a fake job link sent via SMS.
Scammers hacked her Gmail and Amazon accounts, accessing sensitive financial details.
Authorities registered a case under cybercrime laws as online fraud cases continue to rise.
A 38-year-old woman in Mangaluru lost over Rs 2 lakh to scammers after clicking on a fraudulent link that scammers sent her via SMS, amid the growing number of online scams. According to the reports, the victim was enticed by the SMS with the promise of employment. The victim, Vasudha Gopalakrishna Shenoy, a bank branch manager in Belthangady, clicked on the link because she believed it to be a genuine job opportunity, compromising her personal information and scam.
SurveyHow did it happen
According to the report, Shenoy received a message with some appealing job details and a malicious link to “interviewshine.co.in.” Looking at the good opportunity, she clicked on the link, which resulted in all of her personal information being shared with cybercriminals.
The scam unfolded when she clicked on the link and discovered that her Gmail account and the Amazon app had been compromised. The fraudsters obtained her credit card information and began making unauthorized transactions. In just a few hours, she lost approximately Rs 2,19,500 due to fraudulent transactions deducted from her bank cards, Amazon wallet, and credit cards.
After discovering she had fallen for a scam, Shenoy contacted the authorities and filed a case with the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Station in accordance with Sections 318(2) and 318(4) of the BNS Act and Section 66(D) of the IT Act.
While this was not your typical digital arrest, work-from-home job, or parcel scam, it demonstrates that scammers are constantly looking for new ways to lure and defraud people. If you are concerned, here are some precautions you should take to stay safe.
Individuals are advised not to click on links received from unknown numbers, even if the message appears trustworthy. Individuals are also advised to double-check all of the information in the message via the Internet or with the authorities.
Stay alert and cautious if you receive links in messages, emails, or social media platforms that offer prizes, lottery tickets, money, jobs, and other opportunities. Also, two-factor authentication on the applications should be enabled to improve account security. Finally, continue to monitor your bank statement closely.
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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
