Cybercrime and the charlatans on the internet have found new ways to find and exploit their victims in the recent past. In a major incident emerging from the IT city of Bengaluru, a 60-year-old lost a whopping Rs 2.8 crore after falling for the promise of a free phone.
Senior Citizen Loses Rs 2.8 Crore
As per reports from India Today and Deccan Herald, the man received the phone from the scammers, free of cost. It is being reported that that phone carried some malware that obtained required data, and stole the money from the Bengaluru man.
The victim fell for this trap when he was contacted by the scammers via the social media platform WhatsApp, where they offered the man a lucrative SIM card package.
New SIM With Free Phone
The fraudsters claimed to be working with Citi Bank.
In this package, along with a new SIM, the victim also got a brand-new phone.
The report pointed out that the scamster sent a Redmi phone worth around Rs 10,000 along with the SIM card.
The caller told the victim that a credit card had been issued in his name by the bank and that he would need to switch to a phone number that was approved by the telecom provider Airtel in order to use the credit card.
Malware Took All Money
Once the man started using it, in no time, the malware-induced phone and the scammer behind it managed to essentially empty his account.
A total loss of Rs 2.8 crore has been reported.
The victim realised the loss of money from his account after the bank notified him that the large sum had been debited.
Upon learning this, he registered the complaint with the police.
Stay Safe, Stay Vigilant
This is one of the many incidents that underscore the need for vigilance on the part of citizens, when it comes to tackling the menace of cyber fraud.
Charlatans are evolving and so are their means to get to you. The channel of carrying out fraud has only become more sophisticated.
One has to follow the basic rules of not falling 'unimaginable' and impractical promises. Corroborate the source of any information or promise that is being made available. If one does end up falling prey to such scamster, then it is rudimentary to not shy away and contact authorities immediately.