The Karnataka Transport Department has set a deadline of September 15 for all vehicle owners to install High Security Registration Plates (HSRP). Unfortunately, the new rule has attracted scammers, who are manipulating innocent people. Recently, a 42-year-old man from Bengaluru lost nearly Rs 96,000 in a cyber fraud while trying to book his HSRP. The scam happened when he attempted to book his HSRP through a fake website called BookMyHSRP.net on July 9.
The fraudsters tricked Vijith Kumar by sending a message on July 16, claiming that his address was incorrect and urged him to update the required details in the provided link. By clicking the link, he unknowingly provided personal information that led to financial loss.
According to Asianet News, after entering his details on the fake link, Kumar quickly noticed strange transactions on his credit card. He soon realised he had been scammed when Rs 95,854 disappeared from his account. The fraudsters did not take the money all at once, they first withdrew Rs 54,773.97, and then took another Rs 41,080.48.
Once he understood that he was tricked, Kumar reported the incident to Bagalur police station. Authorities have since filed an FIR against the unknown scammers under Information Technology Act and BNS Sections 318 (4) and 319 (2). They are currently investigating the email ID and account details of the scammers.
Vijith Kumar told The Times of India that as soon as he saw the suspicious transaction messages, he quickly blocked his account and credit card. The next day, he visited the bank to report the unauthorized transactions and also reached out to the cyber helpline at 1930. A senior police officer claimed that the fraudsters instructed Kumar to make a small payment to release his parcel. However, the officer revealed that Kumar did not specify the amount he was asked to pay in his complaint.
“Usually, fraudsters ask for Rs 2 to Rs 20. They ask for the payment to get the banking details of gullible people and siphon off the money. We’ll once again take details from Kumar and investigate,” the officer added.
To ensure safety, people should use only the official links, transport.karnataka.gov.in and www.siam.in.
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