If you get unsolicited deposit, don’t key in PIN, says cyber experts
Scamsters adopt new method 'Jumped Deposits' to rob unsuspecting people
Hyderabad:Mobile wallets have made shopping hassle-free, but they have also exposed the user’s money to new vulnerabilities as cyber criminals devise new and sophisticated technologies to rob people.
While police and other government agencies have been trying to spread awareness among cyber scams like ‘digital arrest’ among others, scamsters have adopted a new modus operandi called ‘jumped deposits’, which targets the payment gateways.
According to cyber researcher Sheikh Sultan, scammers send a small amount to his targeted person. The amount may be small; around one rupee to `5,000, which is enough to catch the receiver off-guard.
Once the money is sent, the scammer immediately initiates a withdrawal request. When the user receives a notification about the deposit, the immediate reaction is to check their balance, leading them to enter their PIN.”
This is where, the police say, the user makes the mistake that he will regret later.
“Though the user enters the PIN to check the balance, it will authorise the scammer's withdrawal request and results in the transfer of money from his account to the fraudster’s account.”
Though there are a few cases involving Jumped Deposits in Hyderabad, the police are advising the users to enter the wrong PIN when they receive any such requests.
“The user could also get calls, suggesting they should check the bank balance. But they should wait for 10 to 15 minutes to let withdrawal requests expire automatically,” Sultan said, adding that the officials have also advised people not to accept any calls pertaining to such requests.
