Hyderabad: A 35-year-old businessman from Hyderabad fell prey to a credit card points scam and lost ₹1.23 lakh after cybercriminals masquerading as bank executives convinced him to share sensitive details online.
The incident began when the businessman received a WhatsApp call from an unfamiliar number. On the other end was a man claiming to be a representative from IndusInd Bank. He told the victim that his unused credit card reward points could be converted into cash a tempting offer that drew the businessman into the trap.
According to investigators, the scammer sent a link via message, instructing the victim to click and follow the steps to redeem his points. But there was a catch. Since the victim was using an Apple device that couldn’t run the APK file attached to the link, the caller insisted that he insert his SIM card into an Android phone instead. Convinced he was dealing with a legitimate bank official, the businessman did as told.
Once the victim opened the link on his Android phone, he was prompted to enter his credit card details. Within moments of submitting the information, he realised something was amiss. Instead of receiving any cash equivalent of his reward points, he found that ₹1.23 lakh had vanished from his account.
It was only after the transaction that the businessman realised he had been conned. Panicked, he rushed to the city’s cybercrime police station and lodged a formal complaint. Officials confirmed they had registered a case and launched a probe into the matter.
Cybercrime experts have urged the public to be wary of such calls and not to trust unsolicited messages or requests to share personal banking information. Authorities continue to investigate the case and are working to trace the fraudsters behind the crime.
