Data Breach of Personal Info

Ronaldo Laishram *

Do you ever counter that you got OTP in your mobile without the knowledge of you? Do you get a message on your mobile that there have been two/more unsuccessful attempts to log into your net banking account?

32 lakh or more debit cards of various banks are believed to have been affected by malware, following a suspected security breach, even as investigations have begun into the reasons behind the security risk.

Do you believe that if someone has your Card(Credit or Debit) they can hack your OTP also? I guess you might think it is impossible to hack OTP as you will get OTP in your mobile only. Yes, you will get your OTP on your mobile, but your message can be hacked from somewhere if and only if you do or click something on your mobile.

Let me tell you how your OTP can be hacked. Not the only message, call log, your photos, videos and documents of your mobile can be hacked. There might be many ways. But, I will tell you most common one.

These days I got lots of message in my WhatsApp saying that "Get free mobile, click on this link *some link*","Have you seen this? look *some link*, "free 3G/4G offer, click this link *some link*,"Big Billion day, check this *some link*,... and so on.

Once you clicked on that link, your account will be compromised. The one who wrote the script of that link will get all your details(your call history, contact, message, photos, videos, documents etc). So, If he has your card details(your card details also can be hacked), while transacting you will get your OTP and so he will also read your message and the transaction will be completed by someone and your money will be in his hand.

So, never ever click the unknown links you got. Believe me, you won't get any free without losing something. they are fraud. They are trying to hack and access your details. Nowadays, it spread like wildfire. Once you clicked, you will be asked to share with seven or eight people to claim your award. So, it spreads....

Scan your mobile with good anti-virus to remove the malware. Don’t install app from unknown source.

Here's what you should do as a debit cardholder:

1) Change debit card PIN, either at the ATM or via net banking.

2) Do not share your OTP, ATM pin, CVV with anyone.

3) Stick to using your own bank’s ATM for a while.

4) Don't ignore alerts that say your card has been used for a transaction you didn’t do, even if the amount is small.

5) Ask your bank whether you should change your card.

6) Remember, RBI has asked banks to send both SMS and email alerts. So register for these alerts if you haven't.

It has advised the consumers to review account statements and activity, and if any unusual or fraudulent transactions are suspected, they should contact the bank concerned for more assistance.