A 24-year-old businessman in Ahmedabad has reported being defrauded of Rs 2.3 lakh after downloading a fraudulent transport-related mobile application. The application was accessed through a link sent via SMS, according to police sources. This incident highlights the growing prevalence of mobile app scams targeting unsuspecting users.
On Sept 6, he received around 10 SMS alerts about debit transactions. When he checked his company’s current account, he found that Rs 49,999 had been debited. He then checked his personal savings account and found nine unauthorised transactions totalling Rs 1.8 lakh. He contacted 1930, the cybercrime helpline, and reported the incident.
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The businessman received an SMS purportedly from the transport department, according to a complaint lodged with Bodakdev police. The complainant told police that the transactions were not carried out by him and suspected that fraudsters had accessed confidential banking information through the malicious app. The message contained vehicle details and a link. Believing it to be genuine, he clicked on the link and was prompted to download an application. The application sought access to his contacts, gallery and SMS messages. The businessman granted the permissions, but when the app did not show any vehicle-related information, he uninstalled it. Soon after, he began receiving several SMS alerts containing OTPs. He initially ignored the messages. Police have collected the bank statements and are investigating the transactions and the unidentified persons involved in the alleged cyberfraud. Download the TOI App.