Architecture student clicks on bogus ‘traffic challan' payment link, crooks siphon off Rs2 lakh from account
Pune: A third-year architecture degree course student (22) of a prominent college in Karvenagar lost Rs2.02 lakh to cybercrooks between May 17 and 18 after she received a bogus traffic challan message embedded with a link to remote access software.
The student, hailing from Wardha, currently stays in the college hostel in Karvenagar. She sometimes rides the scooter of one of her friends in the hostel. Her friend on May 17 received an "RTO challan" of Rs2,000 for traffic rule violation.
The challan did not open on the phone of the victim's friend. She then forwarded it to the victim, who had used the two-wheeler on May 16.
Senior inspector Vishwajit Kaingade of the Warje police said, "Thinking that she might have breached traffic rules while driving the scooter, the victim clicked on the payment link in it.
Immediately a remote access software got downloaded, prompting her to fill in the PIN, account number and other details to make the payment. In reality, the PIN was to gain remote access to her phone without her knowledge."
Kaingade said, "The crooks then observed her phone use and noted down the key entries. They later used the PIN and UPI application details to siphon off Rs2.02 lakh from her account through 13 transactions — all made during the night between May 17 and 18.
The student realised she was defrauded only when she woke up in the morning and saw the 13 transactions' alerts on her phone."
When TOI called the architecture student on Wednesday evening, she sought time to narrate the incident. She did not return the call till going to press.
Remote access scams involve fraudsters gaining access to a person's computer or smartphone by fraudulently installing software in it. Scamsters usually send emails or text messages with embedded links of remote access software to their targets using names of trusted organisations or public service departments.
Once a victim downloads the software after clicking on the link and enters its PIN, fraudsters gain control of the device.
They watch victims' activities and use the same details to siphon off money.
Senior police inspector Kaingade said, "The architecture student deleted the remote access software later and reported the matter to the Warje police on Tuesday. We are studying the bank account details to which the money went.
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