SIM Swap Fraud in Pune: CA Duped of Rs 2.2 Lakh on Pretext of Updating 3G SIM to 4G; Here's How to Protect Yourself From This Banking Scam

Pune, September 13: In an incident of SIM swap fraud, a chartered accountant in Pune lost Rs 2.2 lakh. According to reports, the CA had in May recieved a call from an unknown person who claimed to be an employee of a telecom company and asked her to update her 3G SIM card to 4G SIM card. The fraudster then cloned her SIM card and siphoned off Rs 2.2 lakh from her bank account. SIM Swap Fraud in India: Avoid This Online Banking Scam in 8 Simple Steps.

The caller told the CA that she was using 3G SIM card and if she did not upgrade to a 4G SIM, her card would be blocked. "The caller then took details of the complainant and sent her a 20 digit number. He then requested the woman to click on the number. Once she clicked, her SIM card was deactivated. The suspect cloned it to another SIM card and got access to the complainant’s bank account that was connected to the SIM," a police officer told Economic Times.

The CA realised that money was being debited from bank account when she started receiving alerts. She then blocked her bank account. However, by then, she had lost Rs 2.2 lakh. She lodged a complaint earlier this.

What is SIM Clone Fraud?

It all starts with a call from an unknown person who claims to be an employee of the telecom service provider. The fraudster will tell you that this a routine call for improving your call drop problem or signal problem on your phone. S/he will ask for your unique 20-digit SIM number that is printed on the back of the SIM to resolve your issues. Once you share the 20-digit number, the caller will tell you to press 1 or simply authenticate the SIM swap.

Once the swap is carried out successfully, your SIM card will stop receiving any signals on the phone. Now, the scamster's new SIM card will receive the signals with your mobile number registered on it.

How to Protect Yourself From SIM Swap Scam:

Firstly, you should never share any of your details to any unknown person over the phone. You can be duped just by sharing your vital information on the phone. Sharing information about your SIM will let the fraudster to register a new SIM with your phone. They might also ask for your Aadhaar number to verify your identity. It is advised that never share Aadhaar number over the phone. It is advised that you should keep a regular tab on your bank balance.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 13, 2020 07:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).