Chandan Kumar, a Senior Executive working with a multinational company in Mumbai, is now the biggest known victim of cyber hacking in India till date. His social media accounts, phone numbers, debit and credit card numbers, Aadhaar, and passport have been hacked since last year.
Kumar said, “Calls are automatically being made from my and my wife's numbers. Several applications are being installed automatically. The hacker has total control over our mobile phone, emails, and social media accounts. We have become his puppets; we are helpless. We are reduced to mute spectators only.”
“He even made WhatsApp calls to family members in the US and to my sister-in-law, who stays in Jharkhand when my phone was on airplane mode. The hacker switched off the airplane mode. He switched on the wi-fi and installed Kasamba, an application, and was typing OTP (one-time password) in front of my eyes. He is able to read, write and hear everything I say,” he added.
The hacker managed to call Kumar’s relatives and friends numerous times a day, creating a false impression that Kumar or his wife Mausumi was calling them. The hacker also booked hotel rooms in Australia, Thailand, Switzerland, and Indonesia in Kumar’s name.
The hacker had also sent applications for five jobs, including that of an office assistant to the global head of a multinational company headquartered in London, compromising Kumar's LinkedIn account.
Kumar filed a complaint with the Navi Mumbai police. Soon after, the hacker started threatening to kill his family and created a WhatsApp group adding Kumar’s acquaintances from London and Singapore. The hacker posted obscene messages in the group. He applied for a loan on Kumar’s behalf. Then the bank officials started asking Kumar to submit documents to get the loan.
A senior police officer from Maharashtra police’s cyber security cell says Kumar’s case was unique. He said the serious part was the origin of the hacking has remained untraced. “In a normal case, we could locate the hacker. In this case, it is strange that the hacker has managed to compromise every single gadget Kumar is using.”
