Vizag scam: 20 people lose ₹65 lakh in fraud case

Twenty Vizagites were cheated out of Rs 65 lakhs, falling victim to cyber fraud. Cybercrooks posed as mobile phone payment companies, KYC or Aadhaar card update agents.

A 65-year-old man was cheated out of Rs 1.75 lakhs after receiving a call from a scammer posing as an assistant to assist him with digital payment platform payments. The scammer raised a false alarm about a technical issue and sent him several links, which he was asked to click on, giving them access to his phone. In another instance, a victim lost Rs 20 lakhs due to similar calls and links.

Together, 20 residents of Vizag were duped of Rs 65 lakhs.

According to cybercrime experts, to conduct these crimes, fraudsters would alter the Android Package Kit (APK) to enable malware that sends fake messages mimicking official organisations. Web pages are converted into apps, making the act more believable.

Police have warned internet users to be cautious and avoid falling victim to scams. Individuals should refrain from clicking on any suspicious links or sharing one-time passwords (OTPs) with fraudsters who may call and pretend to offer assistance with credit card limit increases, stock trading, KYC updates, Aadhaar updates, and other services. 

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