The Economic Times

WhatsApp 'No' reply costs lakhs: CA gets Rs 90,000 fake debit alert, replies 'No' & loses Rs 1.70 lakh from bank accounts; no OTP or link involved

A Lucknow-based chartered accountant allegedly lost Rs 1.70 lakh from his ICICI Bank and IndusInd Bank accounts after replying No to a WhatsApp message falsely claiming that Rs 90,000 had been debited. The unusual case is being investigated as a suspected new social-engineering fraud, as the victim reportedly did not click any link, share an OTP or install a remote-access app.