Annu Kapoor loses Rs 4.36 lakh in KYC fraud – Tips to avoid such cyber fraud

Movie actor Annu Kapoor lost Rs 4.36 lakh to a cyber fraudster under the guise of updating his Know Your Customer (KYC) credentials with a major private sector bank, but a quick and bold response by the police will ensure he gets Rs 3.08 lakh back, a police official said on Saturday.

On Thursday, a man pretending to work for the bank called Annu Kapoor. The alleged bank employee stated that Kapoor needed to update his Know Your Customer (KYC) information, and in response, the scammer began to collect all of Kapoor’s personal information, including his bank account information and One Time Password (OTP), according to a police station official in Oshiwara. 

“The caller later transferred Rs 4.36 lakh from Kapoor’s account to two other accounts in two separate transactions. However, the bank contacted him instantly to notify him of the transaction and to inform him that his account had been compromised,” he claimed. 

He added that Kapoor immediately notified the police and the banks to which the money was transferred were approached. 

“Both of Kapoor’s bank accounts have been frozen, and he will be refunded Rs 3.08 lakh. A case has been filed under the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act provisions. Efforts are being made to apprehend the online fraudster,” a police officer stated. 

In the meantime, the police opened an inquiry under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 419 (cheating by impersonation) and 420 (cheating), as well as Information Technology (IT) act sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (the penalty for cheating by impersonation using computer resources). 

Police said that if a victim of cybercrime reports it within the “golden hours” (the first two hours after discovering the fraud), the police, with the assistance of the bank’s nodal officers, can temporarily block the suspect bank accounts before the fraudster can withdraw it, and the paperwork can be handled afterward. 

Annu Kapoor remarked, when approached, “I will always be grateful to the Oshiwara police station’s cybercrime branch and its personnel. Special appreciation to PSIs Digambar Kurkute and Ashok Konde, along with Senior Inspectors Shree Raghunath Kadam, Shree Manish Shridhankar, Shree Dhanawde, and Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar.” 

Actor Annu Kapoor has starred in several films recently, including Jolly LLB 2, Vicky Donor, Dream Girl, The Shaukeen, Dharam Sankat Mein, and others. The actor also appeared in the Amazon Prime Video ‘Crash Course’ which was released on August 5, 2022. 

Identifying and Preventing Online Fraud

Identity theft, smashing, phishing, and fraudulent online KYC are the most widespread forms of cybercrime. Con artists target people who are too loyal to their accounts by using psychological manipulation to trick them into revealing sensitive information (like passwords, credit card details, OTPs, etc.). 

Some of which include: 

• Scammers utilize the information they gather on social media like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to pretend to be a respected bank representatives and trick users into verifying their accounts by sending over personal details. 
• Customers are also exposed to phone scams in which the caller requests that they install dangerous apps and provide a code to complete the fraud or steal their personal information. 

Tips to prevent such cyber fraud 

• Remember to never open a link from an unfamiliar site or an email from an unknown sender. 
• Don’t forget that banks/wallet companies and other authorized organizations never call consumers to update their KYC information or provide them with links to do so. 
• A valid customer service number can never be a 10-digit mobile number, as is frequently seen in a fake message. 
• Never share your personal phone number, account number, password, OTP (one-time password), or PIN with anyone. Any authorized bank or customer service would never request confidential information from its users. 

• Avoid calling the customer service/contact numbers listed on Google search results pages. Contact only the authorized numbers listed on the original banking website. 
• Your bank or e-wallet will never block your account unless you have engaged in fraudulent activity. 
• Do not provide remote access to a system by installing remote access apps (like Any Desk, Quick support, Team Vier, etc.) 
• Do not use any apps that you did not obtain from the official store or website. 
• If you run into any issues regarding your bank, you must contact the appropriate authorities immediately. 

• File a complaint online regarding any of these frauds on the government website https://cybercrime.gov.in/ 

Read More: OVER 2 LAKH CASES OF CYBER CRIME IN TWO MONTHS OF 2022