Cybercriminals Target Indore Residents; Five Lose Over ₹18 Lakh in Fake E-Challan, Investment and KYC Scams
Cybercriminals have been actively targeting residents in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, through multiple fraud schemes. One victim lost ₹5.66 lakh after receiving an SMS claiming his vehicle had violated a traffic signal. The message contained a link that installed malicious software on his phone, giving fraudsters remote access to his banking apps. The attackers subsequently made 16 unauthorised transactions from his PhonePe account before he detected the breach and factory-reset his phone.
In a separate case, a man transferred ₹8.70 lakh to fraudsters after being persuaded over phone to invest in international stock markets. An unknown caller promised lucrative returns, convincing the victim to make nine instalments of payment. He realised the scam only when neither returns nor his principal amount materialised.
A third case involved a housing finance employee who received a WhatsApp message in a KYC-related fraud, losing ₹1.46 lakh. Collectively, five residents in the city have reported losses exceeding ₹18 lakh. Police have urged residents to avoid clicking links in unsolicited SMS messages and to verify official communications through official channels.
