Ahmedabad: Cybercrooks have come up with a new bait to exploit fear and urgency by circulating alarming “accident alert” messages warning recipients that their close relative was involved in a serious mishap. Police and cybercrime officials said the scam has spread rapidly across rural and semi-urban areas, with victims losing money even without sharing OTPs or banking details.In a recent case in Kheda district, a farmer received a call claiming that one of his relatives had been involved in an accident. The caller told him the photographs of the injured person would be sent via WhatsApp, and then abruptly disconnected the call. Soon after, the farmer received what appeared to be an image file. He clicked on it and saw a scanner-like interface. Suspecting something fishy, he immediately deleted the file and switched off his phone.However, hours later, when he visited an ATM to withdraw cash, he discovered that nearly Rs 50,000 had been debited from his bank account. A subsequent check at the bank revealed that the amount was siphoned off through an online transaction routed via a UPI-based transfer. The victim later lodged a complaint with the cybercrime helpline and local police.Cybersecurity experts said the fraud involved remote access trojans (RATs) concealed in image files, usually disguised as jpegs. “The moment the file is opened, malicious software is installed on the phone. It allows fraudsters to monitor the device, access banking applications, and initiate transactions without the victim’s knowledge,” an official said.Unlike conventional scams, this method did not require victims to share OTPs, PINs or links. The malware exploited accessibility permissions and ran in the background, making detection difficult until money was withdrawn.Police warned citizens not to open unsolicited files or links received on messaging platforms, especially those designed to trigger panic. “Fraudsters rely on emotional manipulation. Messages about accidents, hospitalisation, or police emergencies are meant to force quick reactions,” an officer said.
