Big PAN Card Fraud! Woman Loses Rs. 1.80 Lakh After Clicking on Link to Update PAN Card

A cyber-fraudster swindled a 34-year-old woman working as an account officer in a private company in Mumbai for Rs 1.80 lakh by sending her a text message with a phishing link.

The link's page asked her to update her PAN card and trick her into revealing her bank details, which were then used to transfer money from her bank account.

On May 16, a police report was filed at the Santacruz police station. According to the woman, she was in her office in Vile Parle (West) on May 9 when she received a text message on her phone with a link asking her to update her PAN card information.

When the woman clicked the link, a fake HDFC Bank website appeared. Her user ID and password had to be entered.

She submitted her OTP as well as her PAN card data after receiving a one-time password (OTP) on her phone. Her bank account was quickly debited for Rs 1.80 lakh. The woman called her bank and stopped her account after receiving a text message from her bank telling her of the transaction. She then went to the police station in Santacruz to register a complaint.

The police filed an FIR under the Indian Penal Code's Sections 419 and 420 for impersonating and cheating, as well as the Information Technology Act's Sections 66 C (identity theft) and 66 D (cheating by impersonation using computer resource).

It's worth noting that banks and the authorities are warning users not to provide their bank account information by responding to phony bank messages.