DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran Falls Victim to Online Banking Fraud, Loses Rs. 99999
Former Union minister for Communications and Information Technology and current DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has made a shocking revelation that cyber criminals managed to steal Rs. 99999 from his personal savings account in Axis Bank through an online banking scam. Surprisingly, the scam was able to bypass all standard safety measures, including the absence of a One-Time Password (OTP), which is a basic security measure for online transactions. Maran has filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Wing of the Greater Chennai City Police regarding this incident.
The DMK MP took to X (formerly Twitter) to raise the dangers of cybercriminals and share his own story. He began with an ominous warning that “Our privacy is not safe in Digital India”.
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Then he told his story in a long post. Maran said, “On Sunday @AxisBank my personal savings account was stolen ₹99,999 via net bank transfer via @IDFCFIRSTBank-@BillDesk bypassing all normal security procedures”.
A former Union minister was cheated of Rs. 99999
Highlighting the details of the online scam, he revealed the baffling lack of OTP generation, saying, “OTP, the standard protocol for such transactions, was neither generated nor received on my linked mobile number. Instead, a call was made to the joint owner of the account – my wife’s number and the scammers dared to ask if the transaction had taken place. They pretended claiming to be from the bank but their screenshot had @cbic_india (CBI). This confirmed my suspicions and I immediately started blocking all activity on my account.”
He also expressed his frustration at how easily cybercriminals were able to steal money from his account. He said: “It amazes me how they got access to personal information and breached security protocols so easily. This was not a phishing attack and no sensitive details were exposed. @AxisBank didn’t understand how the attack happened and they couldn’t give any solid explanation as to why No OTP was required from my number for the transaction to take place.
“If this can happen to someone who is tech-savvy and careful with private information, what about first-time digital users and senior citizens? Is anyone’s information safe,” he added.
The former Union Minister also emphasized that he had previously come to the aid of victims of cybercrimes by writing to the Finance Ministry and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “Today, as a victim, I demand accountability and justice,” he said.
He also cited some grim statistics, quoting Hindustan Times, such as 75 percent of India’s cybercrimes between January 2020 and June 2023 were recorded as financial fraud. He also highlighted the lack of security infrastructure for private data and reports of selling sensitive Aadhaar data. He added that bank breaches and ransomware attacks were becoming more common.
“For India to thrive in the digital world or emerge as a FinTech hub, we need robust security and government action,” he said.
How to avoid online banking scams
1. Make sure no one knows your sensitive bank details.
2. Never write down or digitally store any of your passwords associated with online accounts.
3. If you keep banking or UPI apps on your phone, never download an app you don’t trust – it could be malware or spyware.
4. Never make online transactions on websites that are not genuine. Before making a transaction, always verify the legitimacy of the website.
5. Never disclose your bank details or debit card details to anyone, even if they say they are calling from the bank or visiting the bank.
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