A 53-year-old shopkeeper from Tadiwala Road in Pune was defrauded of Rs 5.30 lakh by online scammers who sent a link disguised as a wedding invitation. The link installed remote access software on his mobile phone, allowing the fraudsters to steal money from his bank account.
Details of the Fraud
The incident occurred between May 9 and 11 this year. The shopkeeper received a wedding invitation via a messaging app. Upon opening the message, he clicked on a link that led to a form requesting his name and phone number.
According to the police, the shopkeeper also entered an OTP, which facilitated the installation of remote access software on his device. By sharing the OTP, he inadvertently granted the fraudsters complete control over his phone.
The shopkeeper used both a UPI application and a banking app on his phone. The suspects exploited these apps to transfer Rs 5.30 lakh from his account. Senior Inspector Santosh Pandhare of Bund Garden police stated, “The suspects used his UPI and banking apps during night hours, when people are generally asleep and less likely to notice banking alerts.” They also deleted the bank messages informing him about the transactions.
Police Action
After discovering the scam, the shopkeeper approached the Pune cyber police. Following verification, a formal FIR was registered at Bund Garden police station on Saturday. “We have registered the case. Further investigation is underway. We have traced the mule bank accounts to which the money was transferred,” said Pandhare.
Warning to Public
Police emphasized that the link was not a wedding invitation but a remote access software installer. “People should be careful while opening suspicious links received from unknown or random numbers,” the officer advised.
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