Nellore: Cyber Fraudsters fleece bank customers

Nellore: Cybercrimes are increasing rapidly as more people use various forms of technology to store and transmit sensitive data. These frauds are rampant due to ignorance of people on online transactions and there is no proper forum to approach immediately in such cases.

With majority of transactions occurring only through the phone numbers connected to bank accounts, even police officials are also wondering how they are being leaked to fraudsters.

Banks that provide ATM cards and net banking facility to customers are failing to make them aware of online frauds.

In fact, customers are also suspecting the role of some banking organisations where they register their mobile numbers for receiving messages from bank regarding payments and withdrawals. This is also a service being rendered by the banks to customers. But the fraudsters are managing to get these numbers and emptying the accounts based on the ignorance of customers.

"We wonder people are getting calls from unidentified persons to numbers they attached to bank accounts. How this is possible? Either bank has to share the info, or the customer has to link the same number with some other payment apps. Recently, many apps are available on play store for easy payments where they offer incentives to people," said P Janakiramaiah, a retired bank employee.

He added these unauthorised applications have been collecting valuable data of customers for opening accounts. Besides, popular online trading sites, food supplying sites and many others are also collecting information for online payments. Getting information about a customer is nowadays not a big problem, he analysed.

Mainly, online fraudsters are preparing the ground with the number they obtained for online purchases or transactions using the credentials of customer. They simply call the customer for One Time Password (OTP) for completing the transactions. Customers come to know about the completed transactions only after they are getting a message from the bank.

Then, the bankers are simply saying they are not responsible for such online frauds as the customer should not share such vital information with anybody. Even cybercrime wings are also helpless since the customers are voluntarily providing such information to fraudsters due to ignorance.

Though this kind of instances of online frauds are increasing, there has been no check on such activities. In fact, banks should know how the amount has been transferred to which payment gateway or paid through what mode. Bank officials have to provide this information to customers if they demand.

"While we are asking the customers to upgrade them to easy banking methods, they should assess knowledge levels of customers. But pitiably this is not being done. They are simply completing targets distributing debit and credit cards without imparting knowledge on usage which is the culprit," said SV Mallikarjun, a retired senior manager of a scheduled bank. They should first provide information on the negative side of facility, he added.