Ravi Speaks:
Rs. 70K-fraudulently siphoned out from me online in less than 7 minutes.
Exactly fifteen months back in 2020: one fine morning I received a call on my mobile asking for the KYC to be updated for my Paytm. That man was so impressive and seemed simple while talking that he during his talk took the charge of my Mobile by making me do certain steps in a manner as if he was guiding an untrained person like me to learn the steps to become tech-savvy. He asked me certain details which were just the address and the name etc. which in no way were risky and threatening at all. But he kept on keeping me busy with his talks only to make the interaction from long to prolong. What he had done was he had taken total control of my mobile into his device and he was not even asking for the OTPs which were automatically coming on the screen and he was doing his job very fast and at the same time keeping me busy in talks.
Suddenly I realized: that certain notifications were coming one after the other in a very rapid manner-which I never used to get at such a speed. I started suspecting something wrong was happening but at the same time, I did not realize that these were the messages coming of my amounts getting deducted from my account. While being busy with the man on the phone who was just telling me to wait just for a few seconds since the number which he wanted was still not sent to him. My wife very abruptly stopped my mobile by disconnecting the call by reaching on to my mobile in my hand only.
Was a helpless witness to my own colossal loss:
Although I had started speaking to him about why the deduction of the amount was happening and his reply was very convincing-he assured me that the same would be added back to my account and I had not to worry about the same. The sudden disconnect was the spot-on action to be done and presence of mind then helped us to save any further outflow or siphoning of the amount. But shockingly what I observed was that till that time just only in a few say five to six minutes three transactions had already been completed. The first one was Rs. 50,000/-, the second of Rs,10,000/- and the third one again of Rs.10,000/-. The total amount till that time had already gone up to Rs.70,000/-.
Suddenly I started feeling like a very dejected lot: who had lost such a huge amount in no time and that too in front of my sight without doing anything constructive to recover the same amount. I started realizing the plight of those hundreds of people who lose their hard-earned money either through their ‘wallet loss’ or through their ‘cash theft’ at home or elsewhere. I contacted the customer care people of the credit card bank and they advised me to immediately go to the nearest Police station and file an FIR against the same by relating them to the true story which I had undergone.
I went to the Police station of Malviya Nagar New Delhi:and they took all the details and made a detailed essay type description with all other related details and proofs. They did not call it FIR but they just wrote that the report dated so and so has been received from me for the records.
Did my immediate necessary work as directed by the bank:
I took the same receipt copy from the ‘Police Station’ and went to the bank-‘ICICI’-since the credit card belonged to that bank. Here again, I went to my local Malviya Nagar bank branch. The manager took the details and also the police report was attached to it. The manager told me that these reports would be sent to the cyber branch of their Credit Card cell for further necessary action. I was just thinking about the huge amount which was siphoned out so accurately from my accounts into the hacker’s account in almost a blinking of an eye.
Money started getting recredited into my account later:
Later after a couple of hours or so when I checked the details of the three messages which had poured in during those transactions, I found that the bigger amount of Rs.50,000/- was transferred to Amazon and the other two transactions of ten thousand were transferred to ICICI and Ola. I thought that let me send these bigger houses also the details and convey to them that these transactions have been made in their name under a fraudulent transaction done by the hackers on mobile itself.
Mails sent to the receivers of the transferred amount immediately without delay:
So emailed one detailed letter to Amazon with the police report and the similar one to the other two houses also. To my utter surprise, I got Rs. 50.000/- back into my account as ‘credited back’ from M/S Amazon and Rs.10.000/also recredited back into my account from ICICI people. Now only Rs.10,000/- which had been transferred to M/S Ola was still left which was not being sent back or recredited back. So as per these recredits my siphoning amount got reduced to just Rs.10,000/- instead of Rs.70,000/-.
Even after fifteen months, the Bank gave a deaf ear to my grievance/case:
Today even after fifteen months or so there has not been any news from their end (From ICICI or Ola) despite my sending them many reminders and also police reports with the bank details. I had even approached the ‘Reserve Bank of India’ through their grievances segment in the portal but I could not get any convincing reply.
In the meantime, I had stopped doing even a single penny transaction from the ICICI Credit card through which the fraudulent transactions had happened. Still to my utter surprise, those guys have been sending me the same ten thousand rupees as their outstanding to me to be cleared with the timely interest rates levied compound Ly upon the basic amount of Rs.10,000/-. In this regard, I had a lot of correspondence with them and their manager also told me on two occasions that the matter was closed and the recovery would be done by the bank from the receiver of the amount. Even I had submitted a detailed reminder to the RBI as well still these guys have been sending me the reminder as the amount has been getting bigger with all possible interests/taxes levied upon the basic amount -which is nothing but a ‘fraudulent amount’.
No respect even to the RBI guidelines in case of Fraudulent transactions:
Look at the RBI advertisement-where they openly say if there was any such fraudulent transaction with the bank and the victim reports the matter within 24 hours to the concerned bank then the victim should not worry about anything. But that is only the advertisement part-since I have still been receiving the reminders/bills/receipts and calls from the ICICI people for the same amount to be recovered from me the victim.
So many questions come to my mind: –
Why the receiver of the amount as mentioned in the message at the time of transaction-M/S Ola has not been contacted by ICICI to recover their amount?
When the matter has been proven beyond doubt to be a fraudulent one-why still the Bank is harassing the victim for no fault of his?
What is the sanctity of the RBI directive in this clear case of Fraudulent transaction?
Why the Bank-ICICI is still levying all possible interest and tax rates on the basic fraudulent amount and making it to be a swollen amount nearing almost double amount to the basic amount of discord?
Why do the Hacker/Fraud/cheaters involved in these sudden shifts of amounts direct these amounts to be credited to the bigger houses like Amazon, ICICI, and Ola?
Was there any sense of understanding between the “certain” set of people from these big houses with the thieves /Cheaters/hackers as mentioned?
Where goes the reputation of such bigger houses where these fraudulent amounts had been transferred?
My conclusion/lesson derived:
In the end, I have come to the conclusion Credit card fraud can happen if someone physically steals your card or virtually hacks your account, and it can be a serious headache to resolve. In my case, it was a clear-cut hacking and managing the screen control of my mobile. Talk bare minimum with the third party. Never talk about the numbers. Even if the unknown person asks about some information, it is better to cut the call rather than being under an obligatory stance to reply to him. Always ensure that the automatic saving of the passwords is also avoided especially on the device-whether mobile or laptop. Try to use the laptop more frequently while doing the online transaction rather than using the mobile or the mobile app.
No Foolproof way to stop the Hackers, Unfortunately:
Unfortunately, there is no fool-proof way to stop hackers from making such attempts, and fraudsters seem to always find new ways to tap into your information. But you can limit your chances of becoming a victim or minimize the damages from fraudulent activity that’s already occurred on your accounts by remaining careful and proactive in your daily activities and functions.
Today I had heard the news of celebrity Salman Khan of Bollywood getting a poisonous snake bite on his farm. Let me tell you we all are having these mobiles with live financial accounts and Bank Apps as the poisonous snakes around us. Till the time we know /take precautions we are safe and where ever there is a bit of carelessness-we also would be inflicted with a poisonous snake bite by the highly surrounded snakes like the hackers/fraudsters.
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