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Think before you click: Gas delivery boy loses Rs 1.5 lakh in scam

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Telangana Cyber Security Bureau recovers Rs. 1.1 crore from cyber fraud

Hyderabad: Next time when an unsuspecting link pops up on your phone, think twice before clicking it and giving out any data. A gas delivery boy lost Rs 1.5 lakhs of his hard-earned savings in mere minutes as he fell for this kind of cyber criminals’ trap.

On September 28, 2024, the victim, who was a resident of the old city, received a WhatsApp message congratulating him on clearing a loan. The victim, who recently cleared a personal loan, fell into the trap. Fraudsters, impersonating a bank official, sent a link asking him to enter his mobile number to confirm the loan clearance. When he filled out the details, he fell for the same trap.

Narrating the sequence of events which led to losing his money, the victim said, “I obtained a personal loan through Union Bank and cleared it, but I received a WhatsApp message stating ‘my Union Bank loan is cleared’ with a link to enter my mobile number. I thought it was genuine, so I opened the link and entered my number,” narrating the sequence of events which led to losing his money.

Savings vanished in seconds

What followed was a financial bloodbath. Within seconds, five unauthorized transactions drained the victim’s account of Rs 1.5 lakhs, leaving him shell-shocked and his account empty.

The victim in his complaint said, “When the victims contacted the WhatsApp number, the receiver of the call informed that his mobile number was hacked and he did not send the message. He informed me that he was also one of the victims and he gave a complaint to Mahankali police station.”

Hyderabad police booked a case and started investigation based on the complainant. The police urged citizens to be vigilant about the rising trend in cyber fraud involving scammers.Never share personal details or transfer money based on unsolicited calls. File a complaint with the Indian Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or contact the Indian Cyber Crime Helpline (1930).