Srinagar, Dec 07 (KNO): Cyber Police Kashmir on Monday stated that soon after receiving two complaints, it saved Rs two lakh of one shopkeeper and a government employee.
“The shopkeeper aged 70 years, hailing from South Kashmir’s Tral received a call from fraudsters posing as staff of the Jammu & Kashmir Bank Headquarters. The caller told him that his ATM Card is going to be blocked and in order to renew the same he had to give the card details,” Cyber Police Kashmir said in a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
The statement said the shopkeeper who is illiterate took the help of his minor granddaughter and did not even mind to share the OTP, he received shortly. “ The shopkeeper smelled foul play only when he received a message that an amount of Rs 95,000 was debited from his account. He then frantically contacted the Cyber Police Station Kashmir and lodged a report,” it added.
“Financial Fraud Team of Cyber Police Kashmir acted swiftly and succeeded in saving the whole amount of victims,” it said.
In a similar OTP/vishing fraud case, the Cyber Police Station Kashmir said that it has refunded Rs 72,938/- in the current week where a government employee of Srinagar city shared his Debit card details in the same manner.
“The employee later realized that he has been duped, when he received a message from his Bank that an amount of Rs 72,938/- was debited from his account for a Flipkart purchase. The victim quickly contacted Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar and Cyber Police Station managed to save the whole amount,” the statement said.
It added that in OTP/Vishing fraud, victims get phone calls from fraudsters claiming to be officers from different Bank. “Though the gullible people initially are not convinced about the callers due to the recent instances of online frauds, the callers, who claimed to be making the call for activation of their Debit cards, read out certain digits of their card which often are similar in series and other details to convince them. The gullible people then pass on the card details and other information sought by the caller/fraudster believing them to be genuine employees. They only realise that it was a case of online fraud when they got a message that their bank accounts have been debited,” it said.
It added that usually the complaints in such cases are reported/ registered only much later, making it hard for the Cyber Police to take steps to recover and refund the money.
Cyber Police Station, Kashmir Zone Srinagar appealed time and again to the general public to remain very careful while receiving such Calls from unknown sources with regard to Vishing/OTP Frauds.
Cyber Police Station has also advised the general masses not to share the ATM Card Details (Debit/Credit Card), bank details, account details, personal details, OTP etc. to anyone so that they will not lose their hard earned money.
People of Kashmir Valley have hailed the prompt action by Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar for saving hard earned money of gullible public—(KNO)