Cyber Fraud: A picture came on WhatsApp, as soon as it was clicked, lakhs of rupees flew away from the account, a new way of cyber fraud..
In the digital age, where technology is making our lives easier, cybercriminals are also making people their victims in new ways. Recently, a shocking incident has come to light in Jabalpur, in which a simple photo sent to a person on WhatsApp duped him of Rs 2 lakh 1 thousand. In this fraud, the criminals used a technique called Steganography, which not only shocked the victim but also highlighted the need for awareness among people about cyber security.
What happened in the incident?
On March 28, Pradeep Jain, who lives in the Kotwali area of Jabalpur, was at his home when at 9 am he received a call from an unknown number (9827832213). The caller sent a photo of an elderly person on WhatsApp and asked, "Do you know this person?" Pradeep first ignored this message, but when the call came again from the same number, he angrily replied that he did not know the person and disconnected the call. After this, the call came again at 1:35 pm and Pradeep was incited to click on the photo. Out of curiosity, Pradeep clicked on the photo, after which his phone got hacked.
In a short time, Rs 2 lakh 1 thousand disappeared from Pradeep's bank account. The fraudsters withdrew money from his account from an ATM in Hyderabad. When Canara Bank called to verify the transaction, the fraudsters answered the call by imitating Pradeep's voice and assured the bank that the transaction was legitimate.
How fraud is done using the steganography technique
Earlier the fraudsters used to commit fraud through OTP and phishing links. When people became alert about them, now they are resorting to a technique called steganography. It contains a hidden link in a simple-looking photo, which automatically downloads an app when clicked. This app gives the fraudsters full access to the mobile, through which they steal money from the bank account.
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