Cyber fraudsters dupe Hyderabad man through ‘fake’ BigBasket site

A 36-year-old man from Yousufguda lost Rs 1.9 lakh after installing a fake BigBasket app sent by cyber fraudsters posing as customer care staff. Police said the scammers diverted his calls to intercept banking messages and steal funds

Hyderabad: A 36-year-old man from Yousufguda became the latest victim of cyber fraud while reportedly trying to buy groceries through a fake website impersonating the popular grocery platform BigBasket.

As per available information, the victim placed an order on September 30 after finding a site offering groceries at unusually low prices. On October 2, he received a call from a person posing as a BigBasket customer care executive, who asked him to clear a pending payment. The fraudster sent an APK file through WhatsApp, which the victim installed and paid Rs 360 through an e-wallet.

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Soon after, he received an SMS showing a large unauthorised debit from his credit card, amounting to Rs 1.9 lakh.

Based on his complaint, the Hyderabad Cybercrime police booked a case. Investigations revealed that the fraudsters had remotely activated call forwarding on his phone without his knowledge, allowing them to intercept banking messages.

Citizens are advised to report suspicious activity to the cybercrime helpline 1930 or at www.cybercrime.gov.in.

For emergency assistance, they can also call or WhatsApp 8712665171.