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The Cyber Crime Wing, Tamil Nadu, has issued a public warning about a scam targeting Unified Payments Interface (UPI) users. Multiple incidents of unauthorised bank transactions through UPI applications, particularly PhonePe, have been reported recently, the police said.
The victims of this scam have allegedly reported unexpected deductions from their bank accounts without their knowledge or consent via PhonePe. Upon investigation, it was discovered that in all the reported cases, the deducted amounts were transferred exclusively to Amazon Pay, the police advisory said.
Additional Director General of Police, Cyber Crime, Sandeep Mittal, said that this month, at least seven complaints were registered in Tamil Nadu via the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal.
Use of a malicious app
Investigations into the unauthorised money debits through PhonePe have revealed the use of a malicious app named ‘PM Kisan Yojna’. This app was distributed via multiple channels, including WhatsApp, and works by gaining control over the user’s SMS and device permissions.
The fraudsters then intercept SMS traffic and use it to manipulate UPI applications. They use the intercepted data to register devices on UPI platforms, enabling unauthorised transactions, the advisory further said.
It also collects sensitive personal data, such as name, Aadhaar number, PAN details, and date of birth, through a web form. This sophisticated method of attack has caused financial and emotional distress to several individuals, with the scammers exploiting the trust and urgency associated with government benefit schemes, the police said.
Mr. Mittal advised the public to monitor their bank account activity closely and report any unauthorised transactions immediately. He also cautioned them against clicking on unknown links or responding to unsolicited messages or emails.
Published – November 23, 2024 05:24 pm IST