Thread by @nnatuTOI

A class 12 passout, former security officer and self taught cybergeek from Hyderabad, Shrinivas Rao Dadi, masterminded a nationwide cyberfraud with a turnover of Rs 3 crore a day. The money was being converted into #cryptocurrency and sent to #China. So, how did he do it?

There was a hierarchy to how the scamsters operated. Some of them called up citizens, posing as policemen and flashing fake ID cards, over WhatsApp and Skype. Women were targetted the most. In Delhi, one of the scamsters made a video call to a woman, dressed in a khaki uniform.

The victims were told that a parcel he/she had sent by courier was found containing drugs. The terrified victims were deceived into downloading apps, such as Anydesk, that provided the scamster with remote access to his phone screen.

Next, the victim was coerced into entering his banking information on his phone screen. Once the victim keyed in these details, the scamster viewed them through the remote access app and emptied the victim's bank account.

People in #Mumbai, #Pune, #Delhi, #Hyderabad, #Bengaluru, #Kolkata, Pimpri-Chinchwad, among other places have been conned. The defrauded money went into the bank accounts of agents. Four such agents have been held. The agents communicated with Dadi via Telegram app.

Dadi fled from Hyderabad & hid at a five-star hotel in #Vishakhapatnam frm where he was held. He had transferred Rs 25 lakh into his wife's account which has prompted cops to check if his family was involved in the scam too. So far, 40 bank accounts & Rs 1.5 crore has been frozen

How do you save yourself from getting conned? Next time you gey a call from someone who says he is a cop, DO NOT PANIC. Before following any of his instructions, visit your nearest police station and verify if the call was authentic.

The police r NEVER going to call you over WhatsApp, Skype or such platforms. Never transfer money or disclose banking info over phone or online to strangers.

Read details of the scam here:
m.timesofindia.com/india/cybercro…

#CyberSecurity #CyberAttack #CyberSecurityAwareness #cybersafety