Bank SMS Malware Scam: Gurugram Woman Lost 1 Lakh
Gurugram: Bank SMS Malware Scammers are employing new techniques to deceive people and steal their private information, including OTPs, bank account information, and remote access to smartphones in order to steal money.
According to a recent case report, a woman from Gurugram recently lost Rs 1 lakh after clicking on a bank notification SMS which ultimately turned out to be an SMS Malware Scam.
Madhvi Dutta, a resident of Gurugram’s DLF Phase-5, alleges that she was defrauded of Rs 1 lakh.
On January 21, the victim received an SMS on her phone that read, “Hello User Clicking on this link and entering your PAN card number from a mobile number will cause your HDFC Account to be closed immediately.”
Dutta interpreted the SMS Malware Scam as an important message from her bank and clicked on the link in the message. She followed the instructions on the website she arrived at after clicking the link to enter her information.
Dutta followed the steps and entered the OTP she had received on her phone to finish setting up the PAN and mobile link.
However, Rs 1 lakh was taken out of her account shortly after entering the OTP. She realised at that point that she had been duped.
Despite all the awareness and warnings from cyber cells, SMS malware scams and phishing links cases are significantly rising.
People are strongly advised not to click on any suspicious links or share sensitive information like OTP because it could be an SMS malware scam.
Even banks are warning customers not to fall for any phoney SMS messages because they never request an OTP or send a link to finish the transaction. However, many people disregard the warnings or are duped, making them easy targets for cybercriminals.
How to Avoid Bank SMS Malware Scam
- Never give out personal information to a caller or SMS sender, including your phone number, bank account information, and OTP.
- Use secure passwords for your UPI, internet banking, and mobile devices, and change them frequently.
- Before acting on an SMS request, check the sender. When receiving bank alerts, check with the manager of the bank or the helpline.
- Avoid clicking on links contained in SMS messages, WhatsApp messages, or social media posts from unidentified sources.
- For online banking, enable two-factor authentication. This indicates that in order to access your account, you will need to enter both a password and an OTP. Your biometrics, such as a fingerprint, can be used as a second password.
- Be wary of requests for money transfers to new accounts, SMS notifications that a bank account is being closed, and other dubious messages.
- Any suspicious SMS messages should be immediately reported to your bank.
- To avoid being duped by scammers, stay vigilant and aware at all times.
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