Mohali: Reward points bait costs two Mohali credit card users ₹6 lakh

Two credit card users in Mohali district fell victim to cyber fraudsters who allegedly posed as bank representatives offering to help them redeem accumulated reward points. The victims lost a combined total of ₹6 lakh through unauthorized transactions carried out after the callers gained remote access to their devices or tricked them into sharing security credentials.

In the first incident, a library professional residing in Phase-10, Mohali, received a call from a woman claiming to represent a bank's credit card department. After network issues interrupted the phone conversation, the interaction moved to WhatsApp, where the complainant enabled screen sharing and subsequently received multiple one-time passwords, leading to the withdrawal of nearly ₹2 lakh before she could block her card.

In the second incident, a 50-year-old resident of Zirakpur was contacted by a caller claiming that his credit card reward points were about to expire. Following instructions to search for a specific term on Google Chrome, the victim allowed the fraudster to gain access to his device, resulting in two unauthorized transactions of ₹2 lakh each, amounting to a total loss of ₹4 lakh.

Following the complaints, local authorities registered cases under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Investigations into both cyber fraud incidents are currently underway by law enforcement agencies.

Not yet reported: The articles do not mention the identification or arrest of any suspects involved in the fraud.