Vishing, gifts, discounts: ways in which trap is laid

Several methods are being used by cyber gangs to extract credit /debit card details, which are then used in withdrawing money

There are several methods that are used by cyber gangs to extract credit /debit card details, which are then used in withdrawing money and most of the cases remain undetected.

Skimming: The card is attached to a skimming device and a small camera is installed in the ATM kiosk(Bloomberg News)

Police said at present ‘vishing calls’ was the most common method used in cheating people.

In vishing calls, the cyber criminal calls up a person posing as a senior official from Reserve Bank of India or the bank with which you hold an account.

“They lie that your card will be blocked forever unless you give your details. Sometimes they say that it has been blocked already. Sometimes they say that your bonus points will expire and you should redeem them as gifts or cash,” an official said.

Officials said victims are also lured by gifts and discount offers by the cyber criminals.

“The criminal calls saying the victim is entitled to special discounts or holiday packages or increase in credit limit. They also say that your card is at risk so furnish online details for verification with their data and to secure it,” the official added.

Another crude method is stealing the card and hacking into the account to draw out money. One such case has been detected by the cyber police and the entire amount was returned. The callers also call up the victims, saying they need to convert your old card into new chip according to the new mandate and then take the card and misuse it.

Apart from vishing calls, skimming is another method. The card is attached to a skimming device and a small camera is installed in the ATM kiosk. This draws out every detail of the card.

Card cloning is also done, in which details of your card are stolen while you shop online or while shopping at public places such as malls and hotels.

There are cases where money from your card can be withdrawn from some other country.