Two separate cyber fraud cases were registered in Bhopal on Thursday at the Kamla Nagar and MP Nagar police stations, with fraudsters duping victims of more than Rs 3 lakh using fake links and QR codes.
First Incident: Malicious App Drains Rs 1.9 Lakh
In the first incident, a private home loan company employee from Nehru Nagar lost around Rs 1.9 lakh after downloading a malicious mobile application. Police said the complainant, Anoop Soni, clicked on a suspicious link on the internet and installed an app, granting multiple permissions without verification. Soon after, he started receiving alerts of unauthorised transactions. On checking his account, he found that Rs 1.9 lakh had been withdrawn in multiple transactions. He immediately lodged a complaint on the national cyber-crime helpline number 1930, following which an FIR was registered at Kamla Nagar police station. Police have begun an investigation to trace the accused.
Second Incident: QR Code Scam Costs Woman Rs 1.07 Lakh
In another case, a 30-year-old woman working with a private finance company in MP Nagar was duped of Rs 1.07 lakh by a fraudster posing as a parcel delivery agent. The accused contacted her via an Instagram call and asked her to pay Rs 1,050, sending a QR code for the payment. After the initial transaction, the accused repeatedly got her to scan QR codes, siphoning off money through 12 to 15 transactions. Realising the fraud, the woman approached Habibganj police earlier, and the case was later transferred to MP Nagar police station based on jurisdiction.
Authorities urge citizens to exercise caution while clicking on unknown links or scanning QR codes from unverified sources. Victims of cyber fraud are advised to immediately report incidents to the national cyber-crime helpline at 1930.
