Bhopal Sees New UPI Fraud Pattern As Phones Allegedly Reset Before Accounts Are Emptied
· Free Press Journal
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A large number of cyber fraud victims are reporting losing money through UPI transactions after their smartphones allegedly began updating, hanging or restarting on their own, raising concerns over a new pattern of cyber fraud.
According to records, one such complaint is being reported every day. About 65 cases with a similar modus operandi surfaced over the past two months, with victims claiming they neither clicked on suspicious links nor downloaded APK files before their bank accounts were emptied.
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One such victim, Ashish Pawar of Adarsh Nagar said his phone suddenly started updating on July 31.
The process continued for nearly 20 minutes during which the device became unusable. After the update was completed, the phone had been completely reset.
When he reinstalled apps and checked his bank balance, he found only Rs 79 left in his account. By then, Rs 82,000 had already been transferred through UPI transactions.
In another case, Abhishek, a resident of Teela Jamalpura area, said his phone was hacked after it suddenly stopped functioning and later restarted.
He subsequently discovered that Rs 80,000 had been withdrawn from one bank account and Rs 8,490 from another.
Victims have consistently claimed that they did not receive or open any suspicious WhatsApp messages, social media links or APK files before the incidents.
Many believe their phones were remotely hacked, allowing fraudsters to access banking applications and transfer money.
Cyber police officials, however, said phones did not get hacked on their own. They said such compromises generally occur only when users unknowingly click on malicious links or install harmful APK files.
Additional DCP (Crime) Shailendra Singh Chauhan advised citizens not to click on suspicious links or install APK files from unverified sources.
He also recommended keeping devices in safe mode whenever necessary and following basic cyber hygiene practices to reduce the risk of such frauds.
Malware through social media
Cyber experts said fraudsters often circulate malware through fake advertisements, social media posts and deceptive download links.
Users may unknowingly click on these while browsing, giving attackers remote access to their devices and sensitive financial information.
Experts also warned against cyber criminals who embed malicious content in seemingly harmless image files, while phones with automatic downloads enabled face a higher risk of installing unwanted files.
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