Software professional's Rs 20,000 redesign offer for fake HDFC Bank site baffles scammer

A software engineer from Gurgaon recently shared an amusing interaction with a scammer on X (formerly Twitter). The scammer had initially posed as an HDFC Bank representative, claiming that Sharan's account had been disabled and that he needed to update his PAN (Permanent Account Number) by clicking a link in the SMS.

Recognizing the message as a scam, Sharan, a senior cyber security analyst at a prominent private firm, decided to engage with the fraudster in a clever manner. When instructed to open the link and update his PAN, Sharan responded by pointing out the obvious flaws in the scam. He offered to assist the scammer by "redesigning" the fake website to look like HDFC’s legitimate netbanking site, charging Rs 20,000 for the service.

The scammer, intrigued by Sharan's offer, requested a sample via SMS.


While sharing the screenshot of the conversation with the alleged scammer, the IT professional captioned his post with: "Lesson: Never mess with a developer." The post has already been viewed nearly 24,000 times.

What netizens said

The conversation attracted attention from netizens, who reacted with a mix of curiosity and humor. Comments included questions about why the phone number was censored, playful inquiries about the Rs 20,000 offer, and requests for more details on how the interaction unfolded.

Some even suggested accepting the Rs 20,000 from the scammer as a way to "scam the scammer" in return.