Online scam wipes out woman’s life savings after fake payment page dupes her: ‘How did the bank allow’?’ | Trending

In yet another alarming case of online fraud, a woman lost her entire life savings after unknowingly authorizing transactions on a fake payment page. The incident came to light when a Reddit user shared how his girlfriend attempted to pay her mobile bill but ended up losing all her money to scammers. According to the post, the bank, upon being contacted, refused to take responsibility. (Pixabay) According to the post, the woman initially tried to use an iOS app to pay a bill of approximately $20 AUD ( ₹1,090) but faced technical issues. Turning to Google, she searched for the company’s website, landed on what appeared to be an authentic page, and proceeded with the payment. She entered her VISA Debit card details, received a one-time password (OTP), and inputted it into the page. “Indeed, the bill was ‘paid’ and the money was deducted,” the Reddit user wrote. However, within minutes, two unauthorized transactions followed—first, $1,000 AUD ( ₹54,500) was deducted, and shortly after, her entire bank account was emptied. According to the post, the bank, upon being contacted, refused to take responsibility, stating that the transactions were authorized. When authorities investigated, they discovered that the page she used was fraudulent and the money had been transferred to India. The Reddit user questioned how the bank allowed the subsequent deductions despite his girlfriend only authorizing a ₹1,090 payment. He pointed out that VISA’s terms protect debit card users from fraudulent transactions, yet the bank did not intervene. “The issue is, she authorized ₹1,090 only. So how did the bank allow two subsequent transactions that emptied her bank account?” he asked. “And why did they refuse to help, given that VISA terms protect against fraudulent transactions even for debit cards?” The Redditor explained that the scam relied on social engineering techniques. The fraudsters generated a fake confirmation page that looked legitimate, prompting his girlfriend to enter the OTP. “She received a message saying ‘your OTP is xxxx, please don’t share it with anyone.’ She didn’t share it with anyone, but the scammer generated a confirmation page that looked legit, and she entered the OTP,” he said. In reality, the OTP was being used not to authorize her ₹1,090 bill payment but to link her debit card to a digital wallet controlled the scammers. Once linked, the fraudsters had full access to her account, allowing them to make large transactions without further authorization. The Reddit user criticized the bank for its failure to safeguard customers from such scams. “The bank is indeed at fault for not stating that the OTP was to add the card to a digital wallet and also at fault for allowing these overseas transactions,” he argued. Also read: 20-year-old behind $230 million Bitcoin he gifted Hermès bags to influencers, bought 30 luxury cars “For people blindly defending the bank, you’re encouraging this behavior. If we don’t actively fight against it, it’s only a matter of time before they steal billions from us—which could sooner or later come from your loved ones,” he cautioned. Take a look at the post: Many took to the comments section to voice their concern. One user wrote, “Scammers take out ads for fake websites of legit businesses, often they will appear higher in search results. Always check the domain is correct, always read.” Also read: HR manager creates 22 fake employees, logs perfect attendance for over 8 years to steal ₹18 crore Another added, “Happens all the time thats why i dont pay anything with a debit. Credit card company would reverse charges but trying to get money back out of a bank is an act of congress unless its stolen.” HT.com has not independently verified the claims.