Malabar Hill resident gets a bill of Rs 72k for a credit card blocked and destroyed 7 months ago
A 50-year-old Malabar Hill resident learned this almost-unbelievable fact recently, when he got a bill of Rs 72,000 for a credit card he destroyed seven months ago.
Blocking a credit card, too, it seems can’t protect you from fraudsters. A 50-year-old Malabar Hill resident learned this almost-unbelievable fact recently, when he got a bill of Rs 72,000 for a credit card he destroyed seven months ago.
On October 21, the victim, Rajendra Shriram Kunte, was on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai. When he reached the city, he got seven SMS alerts stating his old credit card has been used to make purchases amounting to Rs 72,000. He called the bank and found out that the fraudsters had cloned his credit card data and used it to buy branded shoes, clothes and a smartphone in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane.
“Kunte was shocked as he had blocked and destroyed the old card, which he used since 2011, on March 2 last year and had got a new credit card,” said Popat Salunkhe, assistant inspector, Malabar Hill police station.
“The fraudsters might have stolen the card data when Kunte was still using it. We will ask the bank for the details on the technical aspects to find out how a blocked card could be used by an unauthorised person. We are trying to get leads on the suspects by scanning the CCTV footage of the shopping outlets,” Salunkhe said.
The police, on March 14, registered an FIR against an unknown accused under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, 66 C (identity theft) and 66 D (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act.
Dadar man loses Rs 71.5K in Caribbean country
In another case of card skimming and cloning, a 34-year-old Dadar resident lost Rs 71,592 from his salary account in the Dominican Republic in 2013. The man has an account with a nationalised bank and uses a debit card on the same account.
The complainant was informed by the bank executives that money was withdrawn from ATM kiosks in the Caribbean country. The complainant, who works with a firm in Andheri, registered a complaint with the Shivaji Park police on March 15.
What is card cloning?
Credit cards are cloned using a skimming device – a small gadget attached to the card-reading slot of the swiping machine. The card is surreptitiously passed over the skimming device while being swiped, and its information is duplicated
In case of debit cards, the personal identification number (PIN) is necessary for a transaction, for which miscreants install spy cameras at ATM kiosks. The stolen data can then be transferred on to a duplicate card
Keep your card safe
* Always look for a small additional gadget attached to the card-reading slot of the swiping machine. It could be a skimming device
* While keying in your PIN at an ATM, cover the keypad with your hand
* Ensure you get SMS alerts on withdrawals from your account
* Do not share your credit card information with anyone, on phone or in person
* Never share your PIN with anyone
* While handing over your card for paying bills at commercial establishments, make sure it is swiped only once in front of you
* Store your card in a secure place so you immediately know if it goes missing
* Sign on the strip at the back of your card as soon as you get it
* While shopping online, make sure the website you are using is authentic