Kerala: Bank official loses Rs 47,000 in one click; Here's how

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Jul 23, 2024, 9:01 AM IST

A Kozhikode bank officer received a WhatsApp message, purportedly from the RTO office, claiming she had to pay a fine for over-speeding, including her vehicle and chassis numbers. After opening the attached APK file, she lost Rs 47,000.

Kozhikode: Scammers are targeting individuals with fraudulent messages purporting to be from the Motor Vehicle Department, leading to financial losses. A bank officer from Kundamangalam, Kozhikode, fell prey to this tactic, clicking on a link that resulted in a loss of approximately Rs 50,000. The Motor Vehicle Department has received numerous complaints of a similar nature.

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The bank officer in Kozhikode received a message on WhatsApp, allegedly from the RTO office, stating that they had to pay a fine for over-speeding. The message included the vehicle number and chassis number. When she opened the attached APK file, they lost Rs 47,000. Although the scammer tried to access other linked bank accounts by sending OTPs, they couldn't withdraw money due to insufficient funds. The police investigation into the complaint is ongoing, however, the officer has alleged that the investigation is not progressing effectively. The police have stated that the investigation is underway.

Cybercriminals are employing sophisticated tactics to deceive victims, including sending fraudulent messages purporting to be from the Motor Vehicle Department. These messages contain malicious APK links that, when opened, grant scammers access to sensitive information on the recipient's mobile device. This enables them to drain bank accounts. The frequency of such fake messages is alarming, and the Motor Vehicle Department urges caution, emphasizing that they never send violation notices via WhatsApp. Only brief, official messages are sent to registered mobile numbers, and citizens must remain vigilant to avoid falling prey to these scams.

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