Cybercrime Alert in Coimbatore
Chennai, Sep 8: Cybercrime Authorities in Coimbatore have raised a Significant Warning for Residents after Approximately 50 Individuals Fell Prey to a Scam. In this scheme, fraudsters impersonated customer service representatives from Online Travel Agencies to Illlegally access Victims’ Bank Accounts.
Authorities have advised the public to exercise extreme caution and refrain from engaging with unknown callers or numbers sourced from the internet.
One Recent Victim, A 60-Old Woman from Kerala Living in Kovaipudur, Lost Rs 18 Lakh. After Booking a Hotel Through a Well-Known Travel Application and Subsequently Canceling Her Reservation, She Searched Online for Refund Options and Found A 10-Digit Mobile Number that Clasomer Service contact for the company.
Upon calling the number, she spoke with a man who claimed to be a representative of the travel app. He provided her with an email address to submit her refund request. Shortly after sending the email, she received a Whatsapp Message from another individual instructing her to download an apk file. Believing this was part of the refund process, she installed the application, which granted the scammers remote access to her device.
The scammer then requested a transfer of Rs 1 to a designated account as a ‘test transaction.’ By Entering Her Banking Details, The Hackers were able to capture her credentials and subsequently drained Rs 18 lakh from her account.
Following this incident, the woman filled a complaint with the cybercrime unit. Authorities noted that this incident is part of a larger trend, with numerous residences in the city being lost in similar ways, often after downloading Harmful Applications Oor Trusting Frauding Frauding Online.
Officials Emphasized that any tickets or hotel reservations made through verified platforms can only be canceled via their official websites or applications. They also highlighted that Legitimate Customer Service Representatives would Never Request Third-Party Downloads or Direct Money Transfers.
“Scammers are Continuous Devising New Strategies. It is Crucial for Individuals to Remain Alert, Avoid Searching for Random Contact Numbers Online, and Never Disclose Banking Information to UNKNONOUNOWNO Callers or install unauthorized applications, “Warned a cybercrime officer.
The cybercrime unit reiterated its call for the public to stay vigilant against such scams and to report any Suspicious activities immediatily, Stressing that AWARENESSS and CAUTESS Fraud.
