Noida man loses ₹6.1 lakh after fraudsters take control of his phone

A Noida resident has lost ₹6.1 lakh after fraudsters apparently took control of his mobile phone, police said.

Police suspect the fraudsters gained access to his phone and, on the pretext of helping him with an application, obtained the one-time passwords (OTPs) needed to move money out of his accounts.

How these frauds work

Scammers often pose as bank, telecom or government staff offering help with an application, a refund or an update, and ask the victim to install an app or click a link. Some of these apps let them see the phone’s screen and read its messages, including OTPs.

Protect yourself

• Never share an OTP with anyone, whoever they claim to be.
• Do not install apps sent through links or by callers; use only official app stores.
• If you lose control of your phone or see unknown transactions, call your bank and the cybercrime helpline 1930 at once, or report at cybercrime.gov.in.