In early January 2025, Ankush Sachan got a call from an unknown number. The caller, claiming to be a friend of his father, stated that he had previously borrowed Rs 3000 from him. He further mentioned that he had just spoken to Ankush’s father, who requested that he transfer the money to Ankush via Google Pay. Within minutes, Ankush received a fake text message indicating that Rs 30,000 had been deposited in his account. The caller phoned again, claiming he had accidentally sent Rs 30,000 instead of Rs 3,000. He then asked Ankush to transfer the remaining amount back to him.
This made Ankush pause to check with his father if a conversation like that had occurred with any of his friends. His father denied it, enabling Ankush to thwart the scammer’s attempt to dupe him.
We decode the accidental money transfer scam -- a common tactic fraudsters use to lure their next victim -- for you to stay vigilant.
Modus Operandi
Unknown Caller: Scammers reach out while posing as a friend or relative of someone you know. They tell you they have borrowed money from that individual and need to return it.
UPI Transfer: They falsely claim to have spoken to the individual who has asked them to transfer the money to you via UPI.
Fake Credit Alert: You receive a text message from a personal mobile number saying money has been deposited into your bank account. The amount shown in the message is more than what the caller had informed you.
Scam Unfolds: The scammer calls you back and asks you to return the excess amount they “accidentally” transferred.
Red Flags
Receiving credit alert messages from personal mobile numbers rather than your bank’s official ID or number.
What To Do
Pause: If you receive such a call, confirm the details of the conversation with the individual the caller claims to know.
Check Sender’s Number/ID: Banks send credit or debit alerts using their official IDs, which are short codes. For instance, HDFC Bank uses HDFCBK or HDFCBN.
Report: If you were scammed or were able to spot this scam, then report the incident as soon as possible through a government portal such as Chakshu (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/) and the national cybercrime helpline number—1930. You can also lodge a complaint with the local police station.
(The Quint's Scamguard initiative aims to keep up with emerging digital scams to help you stay informed and vigilant. If you've been scammed or successfully thwarted one, then tell us your story. Contact us via WhatsApp at +919999008335 or email us at myreport@thequint.com. You can also fill out the Google form and help us take your story forward.)
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