A group of 45 members of Irula community in Chengalpattu are the latest victims of the vishing scam related to COVID -19.
They lost over ₹1 lakh, their lifetime savings, to a man who called posing as an SBI Bank manager and emptied their bank accounts after collecting their debit card details and OTP under the pretext of disbursing COVID-19 compensation.
According to Selvam, Village Administrative Officer of Chenneri village in Chengalpattu, around 6.30 a.m Saturday, Selvi, who heads the women’s self-help group in the village, received a phone call. “The caller knew who she was and told her that he had called to provide the compensation and asked for her debit card details. She provided the details and shared the OTP. By then he took some money from her account, but she did not realise this,” said Mr. Selvam.
The conman then asked her to get details of other SHG members so that they can get the compensation amount. “She called 44 of the 80-odd families in the village and everyone shared the details. It was later that they realised they had been conned. The fraudster had even stolen ₹ 100 that was the bank balance of some residents,” added Mr. Selvam.
He said that it was their hard-earned money that they had lost. “Usually she asks me everything, but this time it didn’t strike her,” he said.
A complaint has been lodged with the Chengalpattu taluk police station.
