Doctor duped of Rs 32,000 through app

KOLKATA: A doctor was duped of Rs 32,000 via an app when he was booking a holiday. The victim, Sandip Ghosh, lodged an FIR at Beniapukur police station. Though the cops have started a probe, they are likely to handover the case to the detective department.

“Ghosh was asked to use the AnyDesk app, which allows the fraudster on the other end gain access to his mobile phone. So when Ghosh was completing the booking, Rs 31,988 was deducted from his account,” said an officer.

For lakhs of mobile users, who use the device as a tool for financial transactions, cops and the RBI had earlier issued notifications to guard themselves against organized gangs that are trapping innocent victims to go to Play Store and download this app to gain access to their mobiles.

“A few fake BPOs across the southern fringes of the city had tried to make a fortune by cheating customers and taking control of their laptops. It seems some old members from those gangs have become part of this new fraud circle,” said a senior cop.

“The download links that appear in mobile phones, including device-control apps like AnyDesk, convinces people to download them on their mobile. Such fraudulent mobile apps can reportedly allow fraudsters to carry out transactions remotely and steal money from victim’s bank accounts,” said a banking expert referring to the RBI directive.