In a disturbing incident of cyber fraud, a senior technical officer at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Pune was scammed out of Rs 13 lakh by cybercriminals. The 57-year-old victim, who had been contacted by the scammers posing as a public sector bank, lost the money after unknowingly downloading a malicious file that granted the fraudsters remote access to his smartphone.
The victim reported the crime at the Yerawada police station this week. According to his complaint, the incident took place in the third week of November when he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown sender. The message, which appeared to be from a legitimate bank, claimed that his Know Your Customer (KYC) details were overdue for an update and warned that his account would be frozen if he didn’t act quickly. Attached to the message was a file, which the scammers instructed the victim to download.
Believing the message to be a routine bank notification, the victim downloaded the file. However, this file contained a malware application specifically designed to allow the scammers remote access to his phone. Shortly after the download, the victim began receiving One-Time Passwords (OTPs) on his phone. Since he wasn’t conducting any transactions at the time, he ignored the OTPs.
Taking advantage of the remote access provided by the malware, the scammers were able to access his banking apps and transferred a total of Rs 12.95 lakh from his account. It was only when the victim received alerts about unauthorized transactions that he realized he had been defrauded and approached the Pune City cyber police station. Following the complaint, an FIR was filed at the Yerawada police station.
This case highlights a growing trend of cyber fraud where criminals trick victims into downloading malicious files or applications, giving them access to sensitive information and allowing them to drain bank accounts. The cybercrime unit has emphasized the increasing prevalence of such scams and has urged the public to be cautious when dealing with unsolicited communications, particularly those involving attachments or links.
The police have issued several safety guidelines to help protect individuals from falling victim to similar scams:
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Do not respond to unsolicited messages or emails from unknown sources claiming to be from banks or other service providers.
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Never click on attachments or links from unknown senders, especially if they prompt you to take immediate action. Always verify the sender before interacting with the content.
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Be vigilant with OTPs. If you receive an OTP but are not performing any transaction, it could be a sign of unauthorized access to your account.
As the number of cyber fraud cases continues to rise, it’s crucial for individuals to stay informed and exercise caution when navigating digital communications, ensuring they avoid falling prey to these increasingly sophisticated scams.
