WhatsApp scams are on the rise, and the latest victim is a 42-year-old Bengaluru resident, Hari Krishnan. On January 19, he received a message on WhatsApp claiming he had violated traffic rules and needed to pay a fine. The message included a ticket number and a link to download an app called ‘Vahan Parivahan’ for payment, according to a report by TOI.
Even though the phone warned that the file might be risky, Hari, thinking it was just part of the process, went ahead and downloaded it. Big mistake. Shortly after, his phone was bombarded with OTPs, and that’s when he realized something wasn’t right. His phone had been hacked. A quick check of his bank showed Rs 70,000 had been drained from his credit card.
To make things worse, his wife’s phone started buzzing too, with messages about attempted transactions from her bank account, since a few of her apps were connected to his phone. Luckily, the scammers didn’t get away with anything from her account.
Realizing he had fallen for a scam, Hari took immediate action. He blocked the transactions with his bank and reported it to the cyber helpline. By January 29, he filed a formal police report. The police have now registered a case under the IT Act and Section 318 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.
The message here is clear: don’t download suspicious APK files, no matter how real they seem. Scammers are getting smarter, but a little caution can go a long way in protecting your personal information.
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