Mumbai: In the SIM swap fraud case, the Cyber Police froze Rs 4.65 crore of the Rs 7.50 cr within four hours. In a shocking case of cybercrime, the Gupta family of Malad discovered that Rs 7.50 crore had been debited from their company’s current account at ICICI Bank's Churchgate branch due to a SIM swap fraud.

The scammer hacked the mobile numbers of the complainant's brother and father, defrauding them. The Free Press Journal (FPJ) had front paged the incident on Tuesday, and the Cyber Police confirmed that they had frozen a large portion of the amount and initiated an investigation.

According to cyber experts, a SIM swap scam happens when fraudsters gain control of your phone number by tricking your mobile service provider into transferring it to a new SIM card in their possession.

Scammers collect personal information about you, such as your name, phone number, date of birth, and sometimes even your Social Security Number or account details. This information is often obtained through phishing, data breaches, or social engineering.

Once they have this information, the scammer contacts your mobile service provider, pretending to be you. They claim to have lost their SIM card or phone and request a transfer of your number to a new SIM card. Using the stolen personal information, they answer security questions or bypass verification processes. Once the service provider is convinced, they deactivate your current SIM card and activate the scammer's new SIM card.

After taking control of your SIM number, the scammer receives all calls, texts, and two-factor authentication codes. This allows them to access accounts tied to your phone number, such as banking, email, and social media accounts. Using your phone number, the scammer can reset passwords and gain access to sensitive accounts, potentially stealing money or other valuable information.

In the Gupta family's case, the scammer used the same method. They illegally obtained new SIM cards for Vinod Gupta, 65, and his son Varun Gupta, 39. This allowed them to access the company’s bank accounts. The scammer gained control of sensitive accounts and debited Rs.7.50 crore from the company’s account.

On December 22, around 7 PM, the Gupta family’s relatives noticed that the mobile phones of Vinod Gupta, 65 and his son Varun Gupta, 39 were not reachable, even though the devices were switched on. The following day, they visited an Airtel gallery and discovered that the SIM cards had been converted into e-SIMs through a SIM swap fraud and the scammer debited the money.

Between December 21 and December 23, the accused debited the amount through more than 80 transactions from the company's account. The police have frozen several accounts linked to the accused who is absconding.

Cyber Crime Expert Lawyer, Advocate (Dr.) Prashant Mali, stated, "I am handling SIM Swap fraud or SIM exchange fraud cases which are going on for more than 10 years, in many cases I have got court orders where the mobile operator and banks have been told to compensate the victims. I also failed to understand why have not mobile phone companies learnt from the losses they have faced due to SIM Swap fraud compensation to be given to victims, I also feel the Government too needs to impose fines on such mobile operators who are lax about following sim issuing procedures."

How to protect yourself

1. Enable two-factor authentication: Use app-based or hardware-based two-factor authentication instead of SMS-based methods.

2. Set up a PIN/Password: Add a PIN or password to your mobile account with your service provider.

3. Be wary of phishing: Avoid sharing personal information through emails, calls, or messages from unverified sources.

4. Monitor your accounts: Keep an eye on account activity and immediately report unusual changes to your mobile carrier.

5. Act quickly: If you lose service unexpectedly, contact your carrier immediately to check if a SIM swap has occurred.

6. When a fraud is detected immediately contact toll-free no. 1930 and report the crime.