Hyderabad: With increasing use of money transactions through digital wallets, fraudsters are finding new ways to dupe users.
Cyber crooks are taking advantage of the lack of awareness among citizens using the ‘Request Money’ option on Unified Pay-ments Interface apps and are siphoning money from their accounts. There have been numerous instances of such cases in the last couple of months.
Hundreds of complaints were received by the Hyderabad cyber crime police. Even digitally literate users are falling prey to the ruse.
According to a cyber crime official, fraudsters lure victims by posting advertisements on websites for buying and selling goods.
When the targets walk into their trap, they are asked to accept their requests to pay money through the Unified Payments Inter-face app and cheat them.
The interface works instantly by transferring funds between two bank accounts on a mobile platform facilitating inter-bank transactions using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA), a unique ID, without requiring additional bank information.
Explaining how the gangs were using the ‘Request Money”, Hydera-bad cyber crime inspector B. Madhusudhan said: “The fraudsters approach people who post advertisements on online platforms for buying and selling goods. After a brief bargaining over the price, they send requests and links to digital wallet platforms and ask the victims to ‘accept the request’ or click on the links. This allows them to get access to the accounts of the target.”
Explaining further, he added: “On some online payment platforms, the accused initially send money to gain the confidence of the victims. Fraudsters initially send one or two rupees. After gaining the trust of the victim, he sends a request again with the intent of duping them.”
The inspector said that the space for the text message, where the reason for transfer should be written, they type texts like “40,000 will be credited to your account”. Once the customer accepts this, the fraudsters get access to their accounts and loot them. Sometimes, due to delay in message alerts about money transactions, people have no clue that their accounts have been wiped clean, Mr Madhusudhan said.
On some online e-commerce payment platforms, links are sent instead of requests which will give access to one’s bank account if victims click the link and also other details like Aadhaar and phone number linked to bank account.
In one case, a software engineer, recently transferred to the city, was searching for an LPG outlet online. He found a contact and called up. The fraudsters answered the call and sent a link which started with the name of a bank and asked him to pay `10. When he clicked it, he was asked for his digital payment platform password. When he entered the password, around `1 lakh was deducted from his account in multiple transactions.
Speaking about the precautions that need to be taken, Mr Madhusudhan said: “Users need to be mindful that a transaction in some digital payment platform gives the direction of the money flow in the user interface making it easy for the user to distinguish between Send and Receive requests. You need to be alert and attentive while using UPI apps to stay safe from fraudsters.”
He added: “Transactions which require people to enter their PIN are for sending money. Receiving money requires no PIN. If you receive a payment request from someone whom you don’t know or cannot immediately identify, then you should immediately decline the request,” added the police official.
