A 36-year-old preschool teacher in Mira Road lost over ₹3.82 lakhs to cybercrooks who posed as bank officials. The woman received a message on WhatsApp from an unidentified sender, claiming that her bank account would be blocked for not updating her PAN card. The message included a link to a page where she was prompted to enter her banking and PAN details.
The woman also received a call from a person who claimed to be a bank official and offered help with the update process. She shared her banking details and OTPs with the caller, who then tried to extract banking information of her family members as well.
The woman realized something was wrong and disconnected the call. However, she soon received messages from her bank informing her that ₹3,82,100 had been transferred from her account.
The woman lodged a complaint with the cyber cell, and a case was registered against the cyber crook under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
Police Warn Public to Be Vigilant
The police have warned the public to be vigilant and avoid clicking on links received from unknown sources. They also advised people not to share their banking details and OTPs with anyone, even if they claim to be from a bank.
Here are some tips to avoid falling victim to cyber fraud
- Be wary of unsolicited messages and emails, even if they appear to be from a legitimate source.
- Do not click on links in unsolicited messages or emails.
- Do not share your banking details or OTPs with anyone, even if they claim to be from a bank.
- If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from a bank, hang up and call the bank's customer service number directly.
- Be suspicious of any offer that seems too good to be true.
- Report any suspicious activity to the cyber cell immediately.
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