Thiruvananthapuram: Police have warned of a new form of cyber financial fraud targeting online taxi and autorickshaw drivers across the state, with fraudsters posing as passengers to trick them into transferring money.The scam begins after a ride is booked through an online app. The fraudster then contacts the driver by phone or WhatsApp, claiming that the fare or another amount was mistakenly transferred to the driver’s account. In some cases, they claim that money meant for hospital expenses was sent by mistake.To make the claim appear genuine, the fraudsters send a fake SMS resembling a bank notification showing that the amount has been credited to the driver’s account.Taking advantage of drivers being unable to check messages carefully while driving, the fraudsters then send a WhatsApp link, asking them to transfer the supposed excess amount to another bank account.Believing the money has been credited, drivers may transfer the amount as instructed. The fraud is discovered only when they reach the pickup location and find the passenger absent and no money was actually credited to their account.Police have urged drivers not to rely on SMS alerts to verify transactions. They should check their bank account directly through the official banking application or other secure means before making any refund or transfer.Drivers have been advised against clicking links received from unknown persons or transferring money based solely on phone calls or messages. Verifying the actual account balance before making any transaction can help prevent such fraud.
