Furniture shop staffer loses Rs 70,000 in seven clicks to ‘phoney’ customer

MUMBAI: Imagine losing money when you are supposed to receive some. That is what happened to a furniture store employee when he clicked on a series of payment links texted to him by a fraudster posing as a customer. Popat Purohit lost Rs 70,000 from his bank account in less than five minutes.
On May 14, Purohit, who works at a furniture shop on Daftary Road in Malad (E), received a call around 1.30pm. The caller said he lived in Sewri and wanted to place an order for a bed and cupboard. He demanded to see pictures of furniture pieces. “I sent him many pictures through WhatsApp from my employer's phone. He booked a sofa-cum-bed and a cupboard,” Purohit said. The caller offered to make payment through an app. “I have linked my bank account to a UPI-based app as many customers prefer online payments. My phone number is also linked to the app,” said Purohit. The app allows transfer of money between any two parties' bank accounts using a mobile number and does not require bank account numbers or IFSC. The caller said Purohit would be getting texts to give authorisation to receive the money.

Shortly, Purohit received a text with a URL. “I'm not wellversed in English and clicked on the link without knowing the consequences. The text message had stated that one Deepak Rajbhar was requesting money from me and Rs 10,000 would be debited from my account. The moment I clicked the link, I lost Rs 10,000,” said Purohit. The caller sent him seven texts, each with a payment link, and Purohit unsuspectingly clicked on every link, losing Rs 70,000 in all. By the time he realised his folly, it was too late. “I left a complaint with Dindoshi police as well as with the bank. The caller's number is still operational and he could be conning other gullible individuals as well,” Purohit said.
Cyber crime lawyer Vicky Shah said only UPI based apps allow requesting money from another person. “If you are not supposed to pay anyone and still receive such a text, always call up the person and inquire before clicking on any link. Always read texts or notifications carefully before giving any authorisation,” Shah said.