Mumbai, August 1: As the September 15 deadline for installing high-security number plates (HSRP) on all old vehicles approaches, cybercriminals have seized the opportunity to defraud unsuspecting citizens. A 42-year-old private firm employee from Bengaluru recently fell victim to such a scam, losing nearly INR 96,000 while trying to book an HSRP number plate.

According to the Asianet Newsable report, Vijith Kumar, a resident of Bellahalli, reported to Bagalur police that he lost the money in two transactions on July 21. Kumar had been searching online for HSRP booking portals on July 9 when he came across a website called 'bookmyhsrp.net'. After entering his vehicle details and making a booking, he received an email on July 16 from 'mireyawilliams79@gmail.com', purportedly from IndiaPost. The email claimed his parcel was at the warehouse but could not be delivered due to incomplete address information and included a link to update his details. Online Fraud in Bengaluru: Elderly Man Falls Prey To Cyber Fraud, Ends Up Losing Rs 4.4 Lakh After Receiving Call From Fake Customer Executives From Healthcare Portal App.

Man Loses INR 96,000 Trying to Book HSRP

Assuming the parcel was his HSRP, Kumar clicked the link and provided his address. On July 21, he received two messages from his bank, notifying him of debits of Rs 54,773 and Rs 41,080 from his credit card. Kumar immediately contacted his bank's helpline to block his account and credit card. He also visited the bank the next day to report the fraudulent transactions and called the cyber helpline 1930 before lodging a police complaint.

Here's How HSRP Scam Took Place

A senior police officer explained that after sending the email about address clarification, the fraudsters asked Kumar to make a small payment to release the parcel. Although Kumar did not specify the amount requested, it is common for fraudsters to ask for nominal sums to obtain banking details and siphon off larger amounts. Stock Market Investment Scam in Bengaluru: Businessman Lured Into Investing in Stocks for Higher Returns, Duped of Rs 5.2 Crore; Case Registered.

A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and IPC Sections 318 (4) and 319 (2), both related to cheating. The police are investigating the incident further. The transport department has advised citizens to book HSRPs only through official websites: https://transport.karnataka.gov.in or www.siam.in.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 01, 2024 09:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).