A 73-year-old citizen of Maharashtra's capital city, Mumbai, was defrauded of Rs 1.38 lakh by cyber criminals in an incidence of internet fraud. When he went online to buy a bottle of wine, he was scammed by cyber thieves. The event occurred on March 21.
In this case, a complaint has been filed. After trying to buy a bottle of 'Creme De Cassis' online, the man stumbled upon a contact number, according to a News Channel. The complainant dialled the number and placed an order for a bottle of wine at Rs 1,650.
The person on the other end of the line requested the older citizen's credit card information and expiration date. The 73-year-old guy supplied the information requested by the cyber scammer. As soon as he entered his credit card information, he received notifications that Rs 1,650, Rs 91,449, and Rs 45,725 had been charged.
The victim then dialed the same phone number. The fraudster claimed that the money was deducted in error and that the additional charges will be repaid. The complainant went to the bank and had his card disabled.
According to media sources, sometime later he received a message that another payment on his card had been declined, which meant someone was trying to withdraw money again. He later went to Colaba Police Department and lodged a FIR. The police opened a case based on his allegation under relevant provisions of the Indian Criminal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act. A thorough examination into the incident has begun.
The next time you buy online, follow these tips to protect yourself from falling victim to fraud or theft:
1. Always shop on secure websites.
2. For each account, create a unique username and password.
3. Never give out your credit/debit card information to anyone.
4. Never click on any links or images contained within a promotional pop-up window.
5. While purchasing online, never utilize free Wi-Fi in public locations.
6. If an offer appears to be too good to be true, it most often is.
7. Keep track of your credit card usage and statements.