"Guard Your Finances: How I Lost Rs. 70K Online In Less Than 7 Minutes To Fraud"

Rs. 70K was fraudulently siphoned out from me online in less than 7 minutes.

Brief:

In today’s world, cyber fraud is widespread. It’s crucial to watch out for people trying to trick you. I’ve personally been a victim and still face the consequences. Here’s a quick summary of what happened to me, giving you a simple insight into how they operate.

Three years ago, in 2020, I got a call asking to update my ‘Paytm’ KYC. The caller seemed nice and helped me with steps, making it look like a lesson for someone not good with tech. I shared basic details like my address, thinking it was safe. But the caller sneakily took control of my phone without asking for OTPs. He kept me talking, hiding his quick actions. I didn’t realize that the fast notifications on my screen meant money was being taken from my account. While I chatted with the caller, my wife saw the issue and stopped it by ending the call. It saved me from more trouble.

I was a powerless observer of my enormous loss.He told me that the money would be returned to my account and that I didn’t need to worry about it, even though I had asked him why the amount was being deducted, and his response was quite convincing. The prompt disconnect was the exact step that needed to be performed, and our minds then assisted us in preventing any more money leaks or siphoning off. However, what shocked me was that, up to that point, three transactions had already been finished in a matter of, oh, five or six minutes. The amounts were as follows: Rs. 50,000 for the first, Rs. 10,000 for the second, and Rs. 10,000 for the third. Up until then, the sum had already reached Rs. 70,000. All of a sudden, I was feeling quite down. Who had lost so much money so quickly, right in front of my eyes, without taking any meaningful action to make up the lost sum? I began to understand the suffering of those hundreds of people who either “wallet lose” or experience “cash theft” at home or abroad, losing their hard-earned money. I got in touch with the credit card bank’s customer service representatives. They told me to go to the closest police station and tell them the truth about what had really happened to me in order to submit a formal complaint against them.

I went to the Malviya Nagar police station in New Delhi. They gathered all the information and created a thorough essay-style description with all the other pertinent information and supporting documentation. They just stated that they had received the report from me for the records, dated so and so, without referring to it as a formal complaint.completed the urgent tasks that the bank had instructed me to do: since the credit card belonged to ICICI Bank, I went there after obtaining a copy of the identical receipt from the “Police Station.”

I visited my neighborhood bank branch in Malviya Nagar once more. The police report was attached, and the manager also collected the details. The manager informed me that these complaints will be forwarded to their credit card cell’s cyber branch for additional required action. I was only considering the enormous sum that was virtually instantly transferred from my accounts to the hacker’s accounts with such accuracy.Later, money began to be refunded into my account. When I looked into the three messages that had come in during those transactions later, a few hours later, I saw that Amazon had received the larger sum of Rs. 50,000, while ICICI and Ola had received the other two transactions totaling Rs. 10,000.

I reasoned that I should transmit the information to these larger houses as well, informing them that the transactions on their behalf were fraudulently done by mobile hackers.Emails delivered right away and without delay to the recipients of the deposited amount:Thus, a comprehensive email was sent to Amazon along with the police report and a comparable one to the other two residences. I was really taken aback when I received Rs. 50,000 as “credited back” into my account from M/S Amazon and another Rs. 10,000 from ICICI. Only the Rs. 10,000 that had been given to M/S Ola remained at this point, and neither the money nor the credit had been returned.My siphoning amount was therefore lowered from Rs. 70,000 to merely Rs. 10,000 as a result of these re-credits.The bank ignored my complaint or case even after two years.

Even after fifteen months, I have not heard anything from ICICI or Ola, despite my repeated reminders and police reports, including the bank data. I also used the portal’s grievance section to contact the “Reserve Bank of India,” but I received no compelling response.I had, in the meantime, ceased using the ICICI credit card—which had been used for fraudulent transactions—for even the smallest cent transactions. To my complete amazement, those folks have continued to deliver me the same ten thousand rupees that are owed to me in order to pay the timely interest rates that are compounded based on the first payment of Rs. 10,000. I corresponded with them extensively, and their manager informed me twice that the case was concluded and that the bank would collect the money from the recipient. The sum has been increasing with all interest and taxes applied to the base amount, which is nothing more than a “fraudulent amount,” despite the fact that I had sent a thorough reminder to the RBI as well.

Nevertheless, these people are constantly sending me reminders.In the event of fraudulent transactions, not even the RBI recommendations are respected. Take a look at the RBI commercial, where they state very frankly that if the victim notifies the relevant bank of the fraudulent transaction within 24 hours of the incident occurring, there is no need for them to fear. However, that is only advertising because I continue to get calls, invoices, and reminders from ICICI requesting that the same amount be recouped from me, the victim.

I have a lot of questions. First, why hasn’t ICICI been in touch with M/S Ola, the recipient of the amount specified in the message at the time of the transaction, to get their money back?Why is the bank still pestering the victim without any fault of his own after it has been established beyond a reasonable doubt that the affair is fraudulent?What is the RBI directive’s validity in this clear-cut instance of a fraudulent transaction?Why is the original fraudulent amount still being subject to all possible interest and tax rates by the Bank-ICICI, making it nearly twice as large as the initial amount of discord? Why do the fraudsters, hackers, and other individuals engaged in these abrupt changes in funds request that these funds be credited to larger companies such as Amazon, ICICI, and Ola?Was there any arrangement between the hackers, cheaters, or thieves as indicated and the “certain” group of individuals from these large houses?Where has the larger houses’ reputation gone since these dishonest monies were transferred?My takeaway or lesson learned:Ultimately, I’ve come to the conclusion that credit card fraud can occur through physical theft of your card or virtual account hacking, and that dealing with it can be quite difficult. In my instance, it was an easy hack that included controlling my phone’s screen. However, by continuing to be watchful and proactive in your day-to-day activities and tasks, you may reduce the likelihood that you will become a victim or lessen the harm that has already been caused by fraudulent activity on your accounts.

I learned today that Bollywood star Salman Khan was bitten by a deadly snake while visiting his property. Let me tell you, these mobile devices that have bank apps and real financial accounts on them are like deadly snakes all around us. We are protected as long as we take preventative measures, and if there is even the slightest bit of negligence, we risk being bitten by a toxic snake, such as hackers or fraudsters.

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