Unidentified men hacked credit card details of a doctor: How to stay safe?

A Credit Card Protection plan offers insurance against fraud, covering unauthorised transactions. Some financial institutions also provide reimbursements, ensuring added security for consumers

Unidentified men hacked the credit card details of a city-based doctor in Thiruvananthapuram, leading to unauthorised purchases of home appliances worth ₹2.25 lakh from an e-commerce platform. The incident occurred on the night of March 6 when the doctor received alerts about online transactions made using his ICICI credit card. He quickly blocked all his cards and reported the crime to the police shortly after it happened.

 

The doctor, who was using three credit cards from Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, and SBI, stated in media reports that the fraudsters had attempted to access his other cards as well but were unsuccessful. The purchased items were delivered to a location in Bhubaneswar. The police have initiated an investigation under BNS Section 318 (4).  "Credit card fraud in India is addressed through a combination of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (for cyber offenses) and the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for traditional crimes like cheating and forgery). Together, Sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act directly address modern forms of digital fraud like credit card scams and are often invoked alongside relevant BNS sections," said Mahip Singh Sikarwar, Advocate, DSK Legal.

 

“Reserve Bank of India has established guidelines which limit a customer’s liability in cases of unauthorised transactions in case of timely reporting only. Banks are obligated to send mail and text messages giving the consumer the option to challenge or dispute every transaction done on a credit card and/or bank account in order to facilitate disputing any unauthorised use of a customer's credit card.

 

“In case the customer remains silent then as per prevailing law, this must be interpreted as acquiescence and the customer can also be barred by the law of estoppel from challenging the same at a later stage, subject to contractual terms and conditions. Therefore, all consumers must act with utmost haste and urgency in reporting fraudulent and unauthorised transactions on one's credit card and/or bank account,” said Nishant Datta, advocate, Delhi High Court.

 

“Cybercriminals exploit security gaps, so it is essential to use strong passwords, enable transaction alerts, and never share OTPs. If fraud occurs, act swiftly by notifying the concerned bank and filing a police complaint,” said Anudatt Dubey, associate at TAS Law.

 

“Consumers are also advised to never share their credit card details and/or personal information over text messages or messaging platforms with anyone as it increases the risks of misuse by hackers. The consumers should also not store their account details on their notes-taking apps in their smartphones, as the same are usually not protected by passwords and hence have the potential of leading to financial frauds,” said Shikha Tandon, partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.

 

"An additional measure of protection for the consumers is to purchase a Credit Card Protection plan. It is an insurance against credit card fraud and in some cases, the financial institutions also provide a reimbursement against any unauthorised transactions made through the credit cards," Shikha said.