From power bill shocker to sextortion, cyber cheats run amok in Delhi-NCR

SHEKHAR SINGH

New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) "Dear HDFC User, Your HDFC Account Will Be Blocked Today. Please Update Your PAN Card Immediately. Click Here."

Like many cyber victims, Delhi's Sunil Arora (58) was also perplexed after receiving this warning message on his mobile phone. As soon as a panic-stricken Arora clicked on the link, Rs 20,000 was swiftly deducted from his account.

It was at this moment that Arora realised that he has been duped by cyber cheats and there was nothing wrong with his bank account.

Though Arora, who works with a private company and is only two years away from his retirement, registered a police complaint, he never got back his hard-earned money.

As the cyber fraudsters keep pace with the digital transformation being witnessed in the country, they send messages of blocking bank accounts or snapping power connection at houses, offices and stores, besides luring people on the pretext of extra earnings or discounts on online shopping.

According to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), more than 200 complaints about BSES frauds have been registered in the capital city.

A senior police officer said that a new modus operandi has been noticed in the field of cyber crime, wherein the fraudsters send random messages to people, stating things like 'update your PAN card or your bank account will be blocked', among others.

A similar modus operandi is used in the messages sent regarding power bills. The message states that the electricity bill has not been updated in the system and by tonight power supply will be disconnected.

"If someone clicks on the link, the scammers will transfer the amount from the victim's account to the fake/fraudulently obtained account using the remote access software," the officer said.

As these scams are going on for months and the hackers have managed to dupe several people across the country, the cyber cheats are now also blackmailing people by recording videos.

In such 'sextortion', the scammers threaten to expose their target's explicit images if not paid after they are lured on WhatsApp through video calling.

Recently, a 28 year-old man, who did not wish to be named, told IANS that he received a video call on WhatsApp a few days ago and as soon as he answered the call, a girl started removing her clothes. However, he disconnected the call within a minute.

"One day later, I received a call from an unknown number, who said that they have recorded my video and my face is visible in it. The man then asked me to pay Rs 25,000 or else he will upload the video on social media," he said.

"When I refused to pay the amount, I received a notice, which had the emblem of Delhi Police and Crime Branch on it. Again, I received a call from a man, who said he is from the Crime Branch and there is a complaint against me. He even demanded money to dispose of the alleged complaint," he added.

"However, I directly approached the cyber cell of Delhi Police and filed a complaint. There I came to know that I became a victim of cyber fraud," he said.

Another senior police officer said that earlier in October, the police nabbed the kingpin of a Mewat-based gang of cyber cheats who used to dupe people on the pretext of online shopping.

Giving details about the racket, the officer said that the whole gang was divided into three groups.

"One group used to provide fake SIM cards and mobile sets for making calls, the second group used to provide fake credit cards for monetary transaction, while the third group used to contact people on the pretext of online shopping and later cheated them by transferring money from their accounts to their own fake accounts," he said.

The police said that they have arrested several accused involved in cyber frauds from across the country and linked to Jamtara in Jharkhand, the hotbed of cyber frauds.