KOCHI: Fraudsters who operate from outside the country are finding innovative ways each day to trap unsuspecting victims and loot their money. From QR codes to WhatsApp messages, the evil hunts its prey in many ways. TNIE talks to Kochi’s cyber police officials about the recent developments
Two months ago, a businessman in Kochi lost a big sum of Rs 2 lakh. He came to know about it only when he received an alert on his registered mobile number from the bank, informing him that the sum had been debited from his account. The transaction was done through his credit card.
Interestingly, he had not used the card for any online purchase. After getting the alert, he approached the bank authorities and forwarded a complaint to the Kochi City Cyber Police. Somebody had executed the fraud using his credit card after obtaining his PIN. The police officials traced the origin of the transaction and found the money was transferred to an account that belonged to a multinational bank in Colombia.
Following police intervention, the full amount was retrieved and credited to the victim’s bank account. The cyber crime police station, which initiated a probe, found it to be a case of phishing. This is not a standalone case, according to Kochi Cyber Police station, which commenced its functioning on the Infopark campus in February 2020. The branch works to bring relief to the victims of cyber frauds. In a year, it has helped 20 people who lost huge and small amounts to online fraud get their money back.
Recently, a college lecturer in Kochi was deceived after he scanned a QR code sent by the customer care centre of an online shopping centre. He lost a sum of Rs 5,200 but the cyber police sleuths manage to retrieve the amount. In another instance, a job aspirant at Vennala lost Rs 1,30,000 after he registered on an online job portal.
A person who identified himself as a representative of the firm called him up soon after he signed up, and asked to pay Rs 1,000 as a registration fee. He also provided a user ID and password to log in to a payment page. However, when the victim attempted to execute the transaction, it failed and he lost money during the procedure. He soon alerted the police and the cyber police station intervened to refund the money.
Timely intervention is key
“Of the complaints we are receiving, 75 per cent are related to financial fraud. Only a timely intervention helps to recover the money. Usually, the complaints in such cases are reported much later, making it hard for the police to help,” said T M Umar Farook, Inspector of Police, Kochi Cyber Police Station. According to him, the majority of the fraudsters are operating from outside the country. There was a spurt in cybercrime during the lockdown in Kerala, with Kochi recording the highest number of crimes during the period.
WhatsApp as a tool
The police warn about ‘WhatsApp Lucky Draw’ that fraudsters are now using to con people. “They claim the phone number is selected in a lucky draw jointly organised by WhatsApp and mobile service providers in India. To convince their victims, the fraudsters provide a WhatsApp Winners Certificate containing a seal, signature, bar code and QR code, the winner’s name, and phone number. Besides, a lottery number and declaration are provided on the certificate. The contact details of a representative are also provided. However, when the QR code is scanned, the data on the phone is leaked or money is lost,” said an officer.
How to stay safe
Online transactions should be done only on authentic, trustworthy sites
Don’t share OTP and other bank details
While scanning QR code for transactions, see if it is from a debit or credit account
Don’t install remote control applications on mobile phones or computers
Ensure the authenticity of the customer care numbers found on the internet