Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 19 August 2024
A resident of Vijay Baugh, Port Blair has lodged a formal complaint with the local police, alleging an online financial fraud. The complaint, filed by the victim has raised concerns over the increasing frequency of such incidents in the region.
According to the written complaint, the victim, originally from Madhya Pradesh, received a suspicious call on August 7, 2024. The call was made at approximately 3:27 PM while the victim was at home. The caller, claiming to be a representative from IndusInd Bank’s Credit Card Customer Support, informed the victim that he was not utilising the free access to airport lounges provided by their credit card.
To exploit this supposed benefit, the caller sent a apk file via WhatsApp to the victim’s mobile number. The caller instructed the victim to install the application, assuring that it would allow access to airport lounge facilities. Trusting the caller’s instructions, the victim installed the application on his phone.
Shortly after installing the application, the victim received a notification of a debit of Rs. 99,618.96 from his credit card account. Realising that he has been defrauded, the victim immediately deleted the application from his phone. Prompt action was taken by filing an online complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) on the same day.
This incident highlights the growing threat of online financial frauds and serves as a reminder for the public to remain vigilant when dealing with unsolicited calls or messages.