GUWAHATI: A resident of Pandu, Maligaon, fell victim to an online scam, losing ₹1.5 lakh after downloading a fraudulent banking app. The incident occurred on Sunday, December 1 and has left the victim in financial distress.
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The scam unfolded after the victim received an SMS claiming their IndusInd Bank credit card reward points were about to expire. The message included a link to download an app named IndusInd Rewards. Trusting its legitimacy, the victim installed the app and provided personal details such as cardholder name, date of birth, email ID, and the 16-digit card number.
According to the victim, no OTP was shared, nor was there any phone call interaction with scammers. Shortly after providing the details, two unauthorised transactions of ₹49,000 and ₹95,000 were made. “My phone froze during the scam period, and I was helplessly watching my credits vanish. I managed to block the card only after the transactions were completed,” said the victim.
The victim reported the incident to the RBI Cyber Crime portal and the Pan Bazaar Cyber Crime Office. Meanwhile, the victim claimed that the bank has been dismissive , insisting that an OTP must have been shared.
“This all happened through the app. I never shared any OTP, nor was I contacted by anyone at the time. The app looked entirely legitimate, and I believed it was from the bank,” the victim added.
An official from the Cybercrime division confirmed they have begun investigating the case, while the victim has urged others to be vigilant about such fraudulent messages and apps. IndusInd Bank is yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.
