Dual OTP system launched in 4 districts to shield seniors from cyber fraud

Feature needs two verifications to complete transactions; awareness drives underway as Abhedya app offers protection to traders facing threats.

A dual OTP-authentication facility has been launched in Gurugram, Nuh, Faridabad and Palwal to protect senior citizens from cybercrimes such as digital arrest and investment fraud, Haryana police officer said on Wednesday.

Feature needs two verifications to complete transactions; awareness drives underway as Abhedya app offers protection to traders facing threats. (HT)

Police said the system, introduced by multiple private banks, allows a senior citizen to link a second mobile number of a trusted family member to their bank account. At the time of a transaction, two OTPs will be generated and sent separately to both numbers, and the transaction will be completed only after both are authenticated.

A senior Haryana police officer said the system was earlier piloted in Gurugram and Panchkula and is now being expanded. HDFC Bank is among the banks implementing the feature. Officials said HDFC Bank was part of the pilot project, with other banks expected to follow and implement the system.

Vipin Gupta, project’s nodal officer, HDFC Bank, said, “It was DGP Haryana Ajay Singhal had mooted the plan after which we had started working on the project from April 14. At least 50 branches in Gurugram and Panchkula are giving the facility right now to senior citizen. We are contacting them too to avail it. We are making backend changes to make this security feature technically viable.”

Arpit Jain, Nuh police superintendent, said, “Only after both the OTPs are authenticated, the transaction will take place. It will help in protecting senior citizen from cyber frauds especially like digital arrest or stock market investment in which hefty sums or life time of savings are lost by victims.” He added that the system provides a “protective pause” enabling family members to intervene if fraud is suspected. “The dual OTP-authentication system was run on pilot project basis in Gurugram and Panchkula after which it has been launched in Nuh too. We are running awareness campaigns for it with help of the bank officials,” he said.

App launched to shield traders from extortion

Separately, Haryana Police have also launched “Abhedya,” a security application aimed at protecting businessmen, traders and prominent figures from extortion rackets operated by gangsters from foreign countries. Several businessmen, builders and fashion designers in Gurugram and other parts of Haryana have been receiving repeated extortion calls from gangsters operating from abroad and have even faced firing incidents. The app has been launched with the aim of providing them a digital shield.

Karan Goel, DCP (West Gurugram), said awareness campaigns are being conducted with RWAs, educational institutes, corporate offices and public places. “Police will provide installation file for this application to the resident for running it on his phone. It will run on android as well as iOS system. It will block all such calls and even voice notes being sent by gangsters and remove it from the device to keep the person stress free,” he said, adding that the app is not available on Play Store and enables backend tracking of suspicious contacts.

Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad police, said, “At least 21 businessmen or traders who have received threat calls from foreign countries have already been provided with the security cover of Abhedya. If we get any intelligence or information in course of investigation that a businessman is going to be targeted soon, we will readily provide him this security application.”