Cybercrooks dupe Vizag residents with credit card limit extension scam

Visakhapatnam: A sudden message, WhatsApp text, or phone call from an unknown number claiming to offer an instant or pre-approved increase in your credit card limit, along with updating your KYC, could be a scam. The cyber fraudsters duped a little more than 30 people in parts of Vizag and siphoned off over Rs 20 lakh.Recently, a 40-year-old man from Vizag lost Rs 60,000 after a cyber con duped him. The police said the victim received a phone call from an unknown number, and the caller posed as the credit card department of a bank and informed him that his credit card KYC expired. The caller also offered to increase the credit card limit.
Later, the caller sent a link to the victim's mobile phone and collected basic details. After clicking the link, the victim observed that Rs 60,000 was debited from his credit card.In another incident, a man was initially not interested in increasing his credit card limit, but the caller kept calling repeatedly. Then, the victim asked him to increase the credit card limit. As the accused did not ask for any other details except the bank account number and credit card number, the victim thought he was safe. A few minutes later, the caller sent a link to the victim, and after clicking the link, the man lost over Rs 80,000.With the same modus operandi, over 30 people from parts of the city lost around Rs 20 lakh in the past one month. The police said that the cyber crooks often pretend to be various bank officials or credit card representatives and offer quick limit increases. The fraudsters' main aim is to trick people into sharing card details, paying fake processing fees, or clicking AKP files. Once they get the information, they can misuse it to steal money. Always verify such offers directly with the bank before taking any action, the police added.