In a costly blunder, a Thane-based man lost Rs 5 lakh while he was trying to fix his television’s display.

By Ankita Chakravarti:

Online scams are on a rise, you should be very careful about what you click upon and what you download. In a costly blunder, a Thane-based man lost Rs 5 lakh while he was trying to fix his television’s display. He downloaded the AnyDesk app on his phone and within seconds his bank account was robbed of Rs 5 lakh. AnyDesk app is used by IT professionals worldwide, to remotely connect to their clients’ devices to help with technical issues.However, the scammer used his skills to gain access to the man’s device and access his bank account details.

Here is how the man was scammed

As per a PTI report, a man from Thane tried calling his TV channel provider when he was facing issues with his TV. While he was speaking on the call, he got a call from another number, who claimed to be from the channel provider’s team and then asked him to download the AnyDesk app. After the man downloaded the AnyDesk app on his phone, he discovered that Rs 5 lakh were missing from his bank account, an official from Chitalsar police station said, quoting the victim’s complaint.

The victim filed a police complaint and then registered a case against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code Section 420 (cheating) and provisions of the Information Technology Act, the official told the news agency. The police have also said that the efforts are on to trace the culprits.

How to stay safe from remote access scams

The first and foremost thing to keep yourself safe from remote access scams is to never give anyone you don’t know access to your devices and another important thing is to never share online banking login details or any passwords with anyone.

“If someone you don’t know is asking to access any of your devices and wants you to download specific software: Be careful! You’re at risk of becoming a victim of a remote access scam.Usually, these criminals will call and report a computer or internet problem they have detected and offer help. They will probably say they work for a widely-known company such as Microsoft or even your bank.Never trust a call you weren’t expecting!Don’t trust the “help” offered that you did not request!No bank or company will ask you over the phone to download software,” Anydesk support page states.