JOIN USApp at heart of new scam
An app that helps scammers hack into bank accounts is at the centre of a scam in Bengaluru.
Called AnyDesk, it is used by telecallers who pretend to represent legitimate banks.
The scammers then convince victims to share a nine-digit pin to access their phones, use their bank credentials, and siphon off their money.
Bengaluru cyber police have registered 25 cases in the last two months. People have lost between Rs 15,000 and Rs 2 lakh after downloading the app, according to a senior cyber crime investigator.
The frauds talk about freebies, coupons and discounts to lure their victims. “They use these to bait people into sharing their pin, and then access OTPs and credit card and CVV numbers saved on their phones,” he says.
The callers convince the victim to share their pin saying it is necessary to activate free insurance or additional credit.
“They can also see your chats and get passwords you may have stored on your phone,” the officer says.
Once the victim comes to know of money being transferred out of the account, the telecallers are back in action, offering to help victims get a refund. They use the additional information to cheat them again.
The OTPs can be used to access photos and videos and personal information, which is sometimes used to threaten and blackmail people, the officer says.
Alert! This is how the scam works
Reasons given by scam telecallers to extract information from you:
Your ATM card has expired.
Your ATM card needs to be reactivated.
Your reward points need to be upgraded.
Your reward points can be cashed.
Your Aadhar and PAN need to be linked to your ATM card.
(They ask for debit and credit card numbers, CVV and pin received on your registered mobile)
Remember
No bank ever asks you to share your OTP, CVV and Internet banking details over the phone.
People calling from banks based in Karnataka first speak in Kannada, and not in Hindi or English.
Bank employees don’t ask you to deposit money through Google Pay.
Don’t install any app that allows remote access to your phone.
What’s AnyDesk?
AnyDesk is a tool that provides remote access to digital devices. It can be downloaded from Google Play and App Store. In February this year, the Reserve Bank of India warned of a digital banking fraud that uses AnyDesk as the attack route.