'6 Transactions In 7 Minutes': Hyderabad Man Falls Prey to WhatsApp Video Call And 'Fake' Healthcare Scheme

Hyderabad: An employee working with the health department at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad was duped of ₹1.17 lakh by cyber crooks. The cyber fraudsters lured the 27-year-old under the pretext of installing an application named 'PM HEALTH CARE_b80.apk' and siphoned off funds from his and his wife’s accounts. According to the police, the amount was deducted in six transactions within seven minutes.According to a Times of India (TOI) report, the Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police have registered a case. The police stated that the victim received a call from an unidentified number a few days ago, asking for details of his credit card, even though he did not have one. When the victim informed them of this, the fraudsters told him he was eligible for benefits under the PM healthcare scheme and sent him an APK file to download in order to claim the benefits. He downloaded the application and uploaded his bank account details into it, the TOI report mentioned. Later, he had a WhatsApp video call with the criminals, who explained the scheme to him. A few minutes later, ₹1.17 lakh was deducted from his and his wife’s linked accounts, which were connected to his mobile number, the TOI report added.Astonishingly, when the police academy staffer filed a complaint and the accounts used by the criminals were frozen, the fraudsters claimed they could unfreeze the account and send the money back. The crooks also attempted to pressure him into withdrawing the complaint he had lodged with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).Investigators informed people that people should not download any APK files sent from any person, particularly from strangers or unidentified sources, the TOI report said.