Prominent Delhi lawyer lost Rs 50 lakh to 'Sim Swap' fraud

NEW DELHI: It was generally believed that online frauds could never really affect the elites in society but we were fooled by that notion. The frauds have extended their tentacles even to the rich ones in society. A prominent lawyer in Delhi fell prey to this and lost Rs 50 lakhs, just after he received three missed calls from an unknown number.

It is a scare nevertheless for every smartphone user as the newly trending fraud that is known as ‘SIM Swapping’ is truly causing chaos to naïve citizens. SIM swapping is a fraudulent practice where fraudsters gain unauthorized access to your SIM card.

By having control over your phone, the fraudsters will get access to all OTP numbers arriving at your cell and will extort money through this hideous way. Rs 50 lakhs were lost from the account of the lawyer in Delhi. The police say that the OTP received on the lawyer's phone was not shared with anyone. The lawyer says that the money was lost after three consecutive missed calls reached his phone out of nowhere.

SIM swapping is the process by which fraudsters gain control of your SIM in an unauthorized manner. Once the fraudsters get control of your SIM, they can send messages or make calls. Fraudsters through sim swapping will have complete dominance on your smartphone. This gang can also extort money from the account using OTP if the number is linked to the bank account.

How to Prevent

• Contact your service provider if you get any SIM-locked messages.
• SIM lock facility is available on the phone. By using this facility, the SIM can be secured.
• Change all passwords at regular intervals.
• Contact your bank immediately if you notice any suspicious transactions.
• Secure with two-factor authentication technology.