Bhopal: In Bhopal, cyber criminals have devised a new method to swindle individuals of their earnings. They have now turned their focus to cab drivers, who have suffered losses amounting to nearly Rs 1 lakh in the past month. The modus operandi involves booking a cab online, asking the driver to reach a location and then end the call abruptly. Shortly after, the fraudsters contact the driver again, claiming that their relative is in a predicament and urgently requires funds via UPI apps.
Fabricated message is sent
The caller informs the driver that a sum of money is being transferred to their account, which they are expected to forward to the caller’s kin. By sending a fabricated message to the driver’s phone, the caller deceives the driver into believing that a deposit has been made into their bank account.
Upon reading the message, the driver assumes the money is genuinely credited to their account and proceeds to transfer it to the provided number, only to discover later that they have been duped.
17 such cases within a month
According to senior cybercrime officials, the city has witnessed 17 such cases within a month. Among them, six cab drivers escaped the fraud by recognizing that the SMS did not originate from Google Pay or PhonePe but from the caller’s number. They verified their bank balances, confirming that no funds were received. Unfortunately, the remaining 11 cab drivers fell victim to the scam, collectively losing close to Rs 1 lakh.
Always check your bank balance: ACP
ACP Sujeet Tiwari from the Cyber Cell emphasized the importance of checking one’s account balance immediately upon receiving such calls. This precautionary measure can help individuals avoid falling victim to UPI scams.
