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Cyber cheats on the prowl, don’t download apps on stranger’s advice: UP police
Cops say many people who download apps on telephonic advice from unknown people and others who share bank details on phone are easy prey for cyber criminals.
A lawyer, a professor at Allahabad University (AU), a retired high court judge, a doctor and a policeman are just some of the many people who have been duped by cyber frauds who made them part with details of their bank accounts.
Many of them downloaded an app on telephonic advice from unknown people and others shared bank details on phone. Still others were blackmailed, cops from cybercrime police station said.
“That’s because the cyber cheats are continuously targeting people who use online payment modes and mobile banking techniques and apps. Since these modes are mostly preferred by the tech savvy, the cheats take advantage of the loopholes in online banking apps to dupe them,” the police said.
Police said that online conmen frequently change their modus operandi. Besides luring bank customers on different pretexts and lucrative offers, they are using women to cheat the gullible.
“A lawyer lost ₹39000 in cash after a cyber conman offered to deliver a pizza in 10 minutes and made him download an app.
An assistant professor of Allahabad University (AU) was offered food for ₹10 from Sagar Ratna Restaurant. He used a mobile app and lost ₹10,000,” said the cops at cybercrime police station.
“A police constable lodged an FIR at Dhumanganj police station after he lost cash ₹37000 from his bank account. The constable said he had received a call from a person posing as bank official who asked him to download an app on his mobile,” police said.
“There are other instances too. Like that of a doctor who fell in a honey trap and was forced into transferring ₹35000 cash in his blackmailer’s bank account. The doctor later approached police when the woman made more demands of money,” the police said.
Even a retired judge of the Allahabad High Court was duped of cash by a person who sought his personal details on the pretext of updating the judge’s bank account. Cyber police station in-charge Rajeev Kumar Tiwari said such incidents of fraud can be controlled only through massive awareness.
“Online payment services should be used carefully, and their passwords and PIN number should not be shared with anyone under any circumstances. People should report to police if they receive such calls,” Tiwari said.
