The city cyber crime unit (CCCU) on Saturday warned citizens about a surge in credit card-related frauds
Hyderabad: In a fresh alert against cybercriminals, the city cyber crime unit (CCCU) on Saturday warned citizens about a surge in credit card-related frauds through phishing links, fake merchant sites, UPI and QR scams, reward-point redemption tricks, credit-limit enhancement offers, fake customer-care numbers and malware-infected mobile apps.
City cyber crime DCP Dara Kavitha said fraudsters are employing increasingly sophisticated methods to dupe unsuspecting cardholders and urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately. “We have observed that scammers send phishing links via emails, SMS or social media ads, leading victims to fake payment or merchant pages where their card and OTP details are stolen,” she said.
“In fake customer-care scams, fraudsters post or promote counterfeit helpline numbers on social media, classifieds and fraudulent websites. “When victims call these numbers, they end up speaking to the scammers instead of genuine bank representatives,” she explained.
In credit-limit enhancement frauds, criminals impersonate bank executives and offer to increase the card limit or upgrade the card. “They then ask for card details, OTPs, or trick victims into installing remote-access apps, resulting in unauthorised transactions,” the DCP said.
Malware-based fraud is also on the rise. Scammers lure victims into downloading tampered or malicious apps (APKs) that request unnecessary permissions and secretly capture sensitive data such as card numbers and OTPs. In other cases, call-centre impostors (vishers) pose as bank or merchant representatives and convince victims to share their card credentials, CVV or one-time passwords.
Card skimming and cloning continue to be another major concern, with fraudsters copying card data at compromised ATMs and POS machines for unauthorised use. Similarly, in reward redemption scams, users are tricked into sharing confidential details under the pretext of redeeming reward points or cashbacks. Kavitha also cautioned against SIM swap scams, where fraudsters fraudulently gain control of a victim’s mobile number to intercept OTPs and take over accounts.
The DCP emphasised the importance of adopting basic cyber safety practices — never share card details or OTPs, verify contact numbers through official websites, and avoid installing third-party apps. She urged citizens to stay alert and immediately report fraudulent activity to the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
