Daijiworld Media Network - Vijayapura (SP)

Vijayapura, Mar 27: Banks and other agencies have been regularly educating people against sharing their personal details, card numbers, PIN, OTP etc with others. People often get cellphone messages against trusting persons calling over phone posing as bank officials, seeking these details.

In the latest incident, a youth who called a number with the aim of making use of free recharge offered through an advertisement, lost Rs 13,000 from his bank account.

Veerabhadraiah Manidalmath, who runs the business of recharging of cellphones by using mobile phone, became victim of such a trick recently. He had read an online message which invited people to get free recharge for Rs 10,000. As mentioned in the message, he called a number and sought free recharge for his cellphone.

The persons on the other end, who spoke in Hindi, promised to credit Rs 1,000 to his account. They asked him to provide OTP number. Once he gave it, they sought ATM card number, promising to remit amount as promised immediately. Once he gave the number of ATM card, they siphoned off Rs 13,000 that was the total balance standing in his account, it is gathered.

The above incident serves as a warning against getting lured by offers of free recharge, or for that matter, anything that's 'free', by strangers with suspicious motives.