Never shared OTP or personal details, still lost Rs 60,000; Delhi television anchor falls victim to Phishing attack

NEW DELHI: Tabasassum Qureshi, a Delhi-based television producer was little aware of the predicament that was about to happen through virtual means. With just one phone call, Qureshi lost Rs 60,000 for no fault of hers. Tabasassum Qureshi who lives in central Delhi wanted an appointment with a doctor. She rummaged through the internet to find doctor Sumit Jian's clinic number and dialed the number provided on the internet. Unfortunately, her call was left unanswered.

However, she received a call back from a staff of Sumit Jain's clinic. An appointment was set and she was asked to pay a small amount to an orphanage near Delhi. An online link was sent and Tabasassum found it rather a noble deed with no malice. The payment went unsuccessful, so she tried with her sister-in-law's phone which also showed hindrance.

Later, she received an sms notifying her about Rs 51,000 deducted from her bank account. Her mother's phone also showed a notification about Rs 10,000 deducted. It was then Tabasassum knew the staff was nobody but a fraudster. Interestingly she never shared her OTP or entered her personal details. The police confirm it as an act of social engineering fraud.

However, the payment link was a phishing link and when Qureshi entered all the details to make payment, the transaction failed but the fraudsters received all the details about her banking information. These details were later used by the fraudster to steal money directly from her bank account.