The changing landscape of technology has prompted cyber fraudsters to alter their modus operandi, leading to a sharp rise in cyber fraud cases in Bhopal. Imposters are now creating duplicate websites that perfectly mimic private banks to carry out online fraud. They are scamming people out of large sums of money under the guise of loan approvals, credit card limit increases, and attractive banking offers. In recent days, the Cyber Cell has registered several such cases where victims have been duped of lakhs of rupees. Additional DCP of Crime Branch, Shailendra Singh Chauhan, appealed to citizens to verify the URL and security certificate of any banking website before logging in. Key Fraud Cases Registered: Loan Approval Scam (Rs 1.85 Lakh): A private company employee in TT Nagar was lured with the promise of a low-interest loan.

 

The complainant searched for the bank’s website on Google and clicked on a link that appeared identical to the genuine site. Upon filling out a form, the fraudsters sent a loan approval message and demanded money for ‘document verification and processing fees.’ After payment, Rs 1.85 lakh was immediately debited from the account. Credit Card Limit Fraud (Rs 92,000): A woman in the Awadhpuri area received an SMS stating her credit card limit had been increased and prompted her to click a link to activate it. The linked site closely resembled the bank’s official portal. The woman entered an OTP, following which Rs 92,000 was withdrawn from her account instantly. Customer Care Search Scam (Rs 1.35 Lakh):

 

A government employee searched for the bank’s customer care number. Believing the top result in the Google search to be genuine, they called the number provided on the site. The fraudster sent a link under the guise of ‘account verification.’ Upon opening the link, control of the mobile device was taken over by the hackers, and Rs 1.35 lakh was fraudulently transferred from the account. Additional DCP Shailendra Singh Chauhan stated that fraudsters are primarily activating fake banking websites through Google searches, SMS, emails, and social media. He urged everyone to conduct bank-related transactions only through official apps or verified websites and never share any form of fee or OTP (One-Time Password) with anyone.