Hyderabad Cybercrime Police warn of credit card fraud surge

Hyderabad Cybercrime Police warn of a surge in credit card frauds including phishing, fake customer-care calls, reward-point scams, and malicious apps. Citizens are advised to avoid sharing OTPs, PINs, and card details and report suspicious activity to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have issued a public advisory warning citizens about a surge in credit card–related frauds involving phishing, fake customer-care numbers, reward-point scams, and malicious mobile apps.

According to Cybercrime officials, fraudsters are reportedly luring victims through fake merchant websites, SMS or social media links, and calls posing as bank officials.

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“They trick users into sharing sensitive information such as OTPs, CVV, or card numbers, or ask them to install remote-access apps, leading to unauthorized transactions,” officials said.

The police have listed several common fraud types, including fake credit-limit enhancement offers, card skimming, SIM swap takeovers, and UPI/QR code scams.

Police advisory:

• Do not click on unsolicited links or share OTPs, PINs, or card details over phone or email.
• Verify bank contact numbers only from official sources.
• Avoid installing apps or APKs sent by unknown callers.
• Enable transaction alerts and monitor bank messages regularly.
• Be cautious of time-sensitive offers or reward-point redemption messages.

Citizens are urged to report suspicious activity immediately to the National Cybercrime Helpline (1930) or cybercrime.gov.in.