Man in Bengaluru duped into losing Rs 50,000 in fake FASTag registration scam

In the first week since the FASTag system was initiated by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), scamsters have been trying to siphon money from people’s bank accounts through Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

According to a Times of India report, a man from Bengaluru lost Rs 50,000 to one of these scamsters on the pretext of getting his FASTag registered.  The victim had lodged a complaint with Axis Bank that his FASTag wallet was not working after which he received a fake call from a bogus customer service executive who sent him an online form to fill and get his FASTag wallet running.

According to the reports, the fraudster managed to get the UPI PIN from the victim by offering false information about the registration process.

The victim was quoted saying, “The caller sent me a link through SMS which said, ‘Axis Bank — FASTag form’ and asked me to provide a few details in order to activate my FASTag wallet. In the form, I provided details like my full name, registered mobile number and Unified Payment Interface (UPI) PIN. I thought the application itself served as a point of recharge. I typed the PIN and submitted it. Subsequently, I was told that the helpdesk had generated a one-time pass (OTP) which was sent to my phone. The caller told me to send the OTP to a different number, and I did accordingly,” after which the victim saw Rs 50,000 of his money stolen.

Following the incident, the authorities have urged citizens not to reveal the password or PIN to anyone or add it in any form. FASTags can only be activated by using MyFASTag app or by visiting the nearest bank. A FASTag cannot be registered through any phone call. People have also been advised to refrain from entertaining such fraudulent calls that ask for any password or online banking details.