Hyderabad: Senior citizen loses Rs 1.09L after falling prey to fake D-Mart promotional ad

Hyderabad: A 75-year-old senior citizen from Habsiguda was cheated of Rs 1.09 lakh by cyber fraudsters who used a fake D-Mart promotional advertisement on Facebook to trap him.

The incident was reported to the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police, who have registered a case and launched an investigation.

Discount Grocery Ad turns into costly trap

According to police, the victim came across an advertisement on Facebook claiming to offer grocery items from D-Mart for just Rs 298. Believing it to be genuine, he clicked on the link and entered his personal details.

Within a short while, he received a phone call from an unidentified person who claimed that the order had been confirmed.

APK file used to hack mobile phone

The caller then sent the victim an APK file and asked him to install it to complete the payment. After installing the file, the victim entered his SBI credit card details to make the Rs 298 payment. Soon after, his mobile phone was remotely taken under the control of the fraudsters.

OTP flood raises alarm

Within minutes, multiple OTP messages began arriving on his phone. Suspecting foul play, the elderly man immediately informed his son about the situation. His son promptly blocked all the credit cards linked to the account.

Money already drained before cards blocked

Despite the swift action, the fraudsters had already withdrawn Rs 1.09 lakh from the victim’s account before the cards could be fully blocked.

Case registered, probe on

The victim later approached the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police Station and lodged a complaint. A case has been registered, and police are analysing digital transaction records to trace the accused.

Public Advisory

Police have urged citizens to:

Avoid clicking on unknown or suspicious social media advertisements.

Never install APK files sent by strangers.

Refrain from sharing credit/debit card details and OTPs under any circumstances.