Exposed to Scams | Be Aware of Scams | Internet fraud | Business scams | Fraud Alert
We are
talking here about Examples of Social Media Scams, What to Know About Romance
Scams and Protecting against online scams, phishing, and identity theft. You
can find Scam, Fraud Alerts - Protect Your Digital Identity and Financial Scams
Targeting Older Adults. We will discuss here about Be Aware of Scam (Fake)
Phone Calls & Emails and Job scams that start on social media: Appointment
Setters.
Frauds/Scams Articles: धोखाधड़ी/घोटालों से संबंधित लेख
Awareness: जागरूकता
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General Awareness through Social Media Scam Tactics
·
How to Identify Common Scams?
·
Signs of an Online Investment
Scam
·
What to do if you think you've
been scammed?
·
How to Report a Scam?
·
Latest Fraud Trends
·
Can the Government Help with
Scams?
·
Common Scams in Your City
·
How to Report a Scam to Local
Authorities?
·
Is Lottery a Legitimate
Company?
·
Phishing Email Examples
·
How to Avoid Romance Scams
·
Warning Signs of a Pyramid
Scheme
·
Recovering Money Lost in a
Tech Support Scam
·
Protecting Yourself from
Credit Card Fraud
·
Is [Investment Opportunity]
Real or a Scam?
·
What Happens if I Report A
Scam?
·
Can I Get My Money Back After
A Scam?
·
How Do I Protect My Personal
Information From Scams?
·
What Are The Different Types
Of Investment Scams?
·
Should I Click On This Link
(Phishing Email Example)?
·
Who Can I Trust With My
Financial Information?
·
Grandparent Scam Awareness for
Seniors
Frauds and Scams: Protecting Yourself in a Digital Age
In
today's digital age, frauds and scams have become increasingly sophisticated
and widespread, posing significant threats to individuals and businesses alike.
Understanding common types of scams and how to protect yourself is crucial for
maintaining your security and peace of mind.
Common Types of Scams
1. Phishing Scams Phishing scams involve fraudsters sending deceptive emails
or messages that appear to come from legitimate sources. These messages often
contain links to fake websites designed to steal your personal information,
such as passwords and credit card numbers.
2. Investment Scams Promising high returns with little to no risk, investment
scams lure individuals into fraudulent schemes. These can include Ponzi
schemes, where returns are paid to earlier investors using the capital from new
investors, and fake cryptocurrency investments.
3. Tech Support Scams In tech support scams, fraudsters pose as technical support
agents from reputable companies. They convince victims that their computers
have viruses or other issues and charge fees for unnecessary services or gain
remote access to sensitive information.
4. Lottery and Prize Scams Victims are informed that they have
won a lottery or prize they never entered. To claim the winnings, they are
asked to pay taxes or fees upfront, but the prize never materializes.
5. Romance Scams Scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and social
media to establish relationships with victims. Once trust is built, they
fabricate emergencies and request money from their victims.
How to Protect Yourself?
1. Be Skeptical Always question unsolicited messages
and offers that seem too good to be true. Verify the legitimacy of the sender
or company before providing any personal information or making payments.
2. Secure Your Information Use strong, unique passwords for
your accounts and enable two-factor authentication where possible. Avoid
sharing personal details on social media that could be used to answer security
questions.
3. Educate Yourself Stay informed about the latest scams and fraud tactics. Regularly review resources from trusted organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
4. Report Scams If you encounter a scam, report it to relevant authorities like the FTC or local consumer protection agencies. Reporting can help prevent others from falling victim to similar schemes.
5. Use Security Software Install and regularly update
antivirus and anti-malware software on your devices. This can help protect
against malicious attacks and unauthorized access.
By
staying vigilant and taking proactive steps to secure your information,
you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to frauds and scams.
Remember, a little caution can go a long way in safeguarding your financial and
personal well-being in the digital world.
Here’s a new scam spotted on social media: appointment setting jobs. They claim you can work from home and
make big money. But just what does an appointment setter do? And how can you
tell the difference between a legit job offer and a scam?
Biggest Phishing Scams of All Time
How to get a Good Night's Sleep? How to sleep better at Night Naturally
Scam victims tell their stories
Investment scam: I lost $50,000 in fake online trading
Be suspicious of investment opportunities that promise a high
return with little or no risk, and don't let anyone pressure you into making
decisions about your money or investments.
Dating and romance scam: my brother lost $20,000 looking for love
Scammers take advantage of people looking for romantic partners.
They express strong emotions for you and do a lot to gain your interest and
trust.
Business email compromise: our business lost $190 000 when our supplier's email was hacked
Some emails may look like they're from a genuine supplier of a
business. Scammers may request changes to bank account details so that payment
will be redirected into their account.
Online shopping scam: we lost $160 on a fake BBQ
While many online sellers are legitimate, unfortunately scammers
can use the anonymous nature of the internet to rip off unsuspecting shoppers.
Unusual payment scam: I lost $300 to a Facebook ticket seller
If someone asks you to pay for anything using a gift card, it's
a scam. A legitimate business or government department won't ask for payment
this way.
ATO impersonation scam: mother-in-law lost $4000 over a fake tax debt
Don’t be pressured by a threatening caller. Scammers may pretend
to be from a government department and claim you have outstanding debts,
threatening you with arrest or legal action.
Remote access scam: I lost $520 to fake 'Telstra' employee
Some scammers may pretend to be a staff member from a large
telecommunications or computer company in an attempt to gain your personal or
bank details.
Identity theft: I lost $6028 when scammers stole my identity
Scammers can gain access to your private information through
unlocked mailboxes or discarded personal documents such as utility bills,
insurance renewals or health care records.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
₹400 crore fraud: Police
arrest one of four suspects
HT Correspondent,
Prayagraj- Jun 25, 2024 06:24 AM IST
Investigators said Nirupama was once a member of a district
Child Welfare Committee and was connected to a political party in Faizabad.
Even as the prime accused in a fraud worth ₹400 crore committed by a Prayagraj-based real estate firm
were on the run, police have made their first arrest as part of their ongoing
investigation.
On Sunday night, Shivkuti police arrested Nirupama Mishra,
the mother-in-law of the managing director (MD) Niharika Ventures’, Abhishek
Dwivedi, from Prayag Railway Station. Dwivedi and his wife Niharika duped
hundreds, and their victims include students, traders, lawyers and housewives.
Investigators said Nirupama was once a member of the district
Child Welfare Committee and was connected to a political party in Faizabad.
Shivkuti station house officer Sanjay Gupta said a case was
filed against the couple, Abhishek’s father OP Dwivedi and his mother-in-law
Nirupama for fraud, embezzlement, issuing threats and demanding extortion on
the complaints of one Kusum Pandey and Kamal Dev.
On Abhishek’s assurance, people invested amounts from ₹20
lakh to 50 lakh into his company. He, however, was delaying payments for the
past six years. Moreover, he was also reluctant to hand over plots to those who
invested in his real estate business.
The couple fled when investors mounted pressure on them to
return their money.
Source (https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/rs-400-crore-fraud-police-arrest-one-of-four-suspects-101719254796549.html)
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Indians report
nearly 800 online financial fraud cases a day, are you protected? Report
HT News Desk | Edited by Abhyjith K.
Ashokan-Jun 25, 2024 03:46 PM IST
Online financial fraud cases in India worth above ₹1 lakh
each, add up to ₹1,457 crore in total values, with a further ₹653 crore with
the others included.
India sees nearly 800 financial fraud cases
every day (iStock)
Nearly 800 online financial frauds are reported in India every
day, the Times of India reported.
While the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
had reported 29,082 card & digital payment fraud cases with each worth
above ₹1
lakh in the financial year 2023-24, the actual number goes up to about 2.9 lakh
cases for the year, or 800 cases a day, if all individual cases worth below ₹1
lakh are also included.
The RBI had disclosed the number of cases below ₹1 lakh to an RTI query, according to Times of India. HT
couldn’t independently verify this information.
What is the total value of these online financial fraud cases?
The cases above ₹1
lakh add up to ₹1,457
crore in total value, according to the RBI report. The cases below ₹1
lakh add a further ₹653
crore to this, according to Times of India.
How many financial fraud cases were reported before?
Cyber frauds of ₹5,574
crore had been reported for the first half of the financial year 2022-23 on the
National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, which is much higher than the ₹2,296
crore in 2021-22, according to a report by the standing committee on
communications and information technology (2023-24), Business Line wrote.
What are the types of financial fraud?
The most common
kinds of frauds include malware or system breaches where funds are stolen,
phishing, where the victim is coerced into revealing their credentials or
perform financial transactions, and fake e-commerce sites or fraudulent schemes
where victims voluntarily transfer funds, according to the article.
When are you protected and when are you not protected from
financial frauds?
Voluntarily transferring
funds are not recognized as banking frauds because the bank systems are not
breached, the report read.
The RBI had
introduced the concept of zero customer liability in unauthorized transactions
in 2017, where the customer is legally protected only when they do not share
credentials, or if the fraud occurs after the customer reports that their
account has been compromised.
This means that there is no protection for the customer when
the funds are transferred voluntarily.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Fraud: Case against police officer and PSI
Illegal
construction on plot in Vadgaon Budruk
· By PuneMirror
Bureau- Reported By PMB Desk-
Sat, 22 Jun 2024- 08:30 am
A
case has been registered against Police Sub-Inspector Santosh Sonwane and
police officer Dnyaneshwar Palve for their involvement in a fraud case at
Alankar police station, informed Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
On
May 30, a case was initially filed against Prakash Bhagwan Awhad and Prasad
Mohan More under sections 420, 468, and 465 of the IPC, as well as Section 82
of the Registration Act 1908. The complaint was lodged by joint deputy
registrar Amrita Yogesh Bankar.
The
case involves illegal construction on a four-and-a-half guntha plot in Vadgaon
Budruk, where a building named Hushare Complex was erected. Transactions
involving the sale and purchase of various apartments in this building were
documented using fake documents.
This
complaint was investigated, and a report was received from the Pune Municipal
Corporation (PMC). A ‘Gunthewari’ regularisation tax certificate was attached
for the building constructed on this land. Upon verification, no record of the
certificate was found in PMC’s records. The investigation revealed that the
regularisation certificate was fake. Consequently, a case was registered
against Prakash Bhagwan Awhad and Prasad Mohan More, who is the attorney on
behalf of Pratibha Realtors, a partner and approver, for cheating the government
with this fake document.
CP
Amitesh Kumar stated that in 2018, a fraud case was registered against Dinesh
Samudre at Deccan Police Station. Police Sub-Inspector Santosh Sonwane was in
charge of the investigation. In 2020, action was taken against Samudre under
the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act.
During
this time, Sonwane’s nephew, Prasad Mohan More, and brother-in-law, Prakash
Bhagwan Awhad, partnered with Samudre’s son in a construction company for a
project in Vadgaon Budruk.
Source (https://punemirror.com/pune/crime/fraud-case-against-police-officer-and-psi/cid1719045468.htm)
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Doctor from Secunderabad loses ₹5.80 lakh to parcel scam
Updated - June 25, 2024 12:01 pm IST-Published - June 24, 2024 08:41 pm IST – HYDERABAD-THE
HINDU BUREAU
A 31-year-old doctor from Secunderabad was cheated of ₹5.80 lakh in a parcel scam.
Officials said the doctor received a call
from a person claiming to be a FedEx representative, saying that there was a
parcel containing narcotics from Mumbai to Iran in his name. “The caller also
shared a forged FIR copy and connected the victim to a person posing as an
official from the cybercrime wing of the Mumbai police. He was informed that
his Aadhaar details had been fraudulently used for money laundering and that he
was required to share his bank details and also transfer some amount to verify
his account,” said the police.
On the threat of being “arrested within 10 minutes if he
does not cooperate”, he ended up transferring ₹5.80 lakh before realising the
fraud.
The Hyderabad cybercrimes police, who have
registered a case, advised the public to immediately report online frauds to
the helpline number - 1930 or by visiting cybercrime.gov.in.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Assistant professor loses Rs 8 lakh to fake FedEx parcel scam: How to stay safe
TOI Tech Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Jun 26, 2024, 11:45 IST
A 33-year old assistant professor lost Rs 7.9 lakh to a fake
parcel scam orchestrated by cyber criminals impersonating as a FedEx employee.
The victim was instructed to download the Skype app for online cooperation in a
false police verification process.
In yet another case of gullible ones falling prey to online
fraud, a 33-year old assistant professor lost Rs 7.9 lakh to a fake parcel scam. Namrata, a resident of Udupi, Karnataka received
a call from a cyber criminal impersonating as a FedEx employee. On being
threatened that an FIR has been registered on her name, Rs 7.9 lakh was
extorted falsely from the victim on the false pretext of police verification.
A case has been registered at the Manipal station
under sections 66(C), 66(D) of the Information Technology Act and IPC sections
419 and 420.
How the professor got scammed?
The victim was contacted by the fraudsters on June
22 at 4:21pm when she got a call from a person named Sanjay Kumar claiming to
be a FedEd employee. She was informed that a parcel had been received
containing five Iranian passports, five debit cards, two kilograms of clothes,
and 150g of MDMA. The parcel, the caller said, was addressed to her.
The caller then informed her that an FIR has been
registered with the Mumbai Police in this regard. Subsequently, she was
connected to another person impersonating as a Mumbai police officer.
When asked to either visit Mumbai or cooperate
online in connection with the FIR, Namrata opted for online cooperation. She
was instructed to download the Skype app.
Later, she received a video call from an
individual named Pradeep Sawanth, who introduced himself as a Mumbai police
officer. The fraudster, this time, asked for details of her Aadhaar card and bank debit cards. Eventually, she was
asked to transfer Rs 7.9 lakh in the guise of a pre-approved personal loan on
credit card OTL for police verification.
How to stay safe?
Some tips that can help you stay safe from these online frauds are:
·
Check for any
red flags.
·
Be wary of
pressure to act quickly, requests for personal information, or demands for
payment.
·
Check the official
website and contact details.
·
If it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is.
·
Ensure the
website uses HTTPS and has a secure connection.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Con-spiracy calling: From deepfakes to innovative financial scams, how cybercrime landscape is evolving
TNN / Updated: Jun 23, 2024, 11:14 IST
Cybercrooks continue to pose a threat online, using tactics
like deepfakes and AI-enabled misinformation. In Gujarat, 1.59 lakh cybercrime
applications were made between Jan 1, 2020, and May 15, 2023, highlighting the
importance of awareness against cyber threats.
From deepfakes in poll campaigns to innovative financial scams, the
cybercrime landscape is evolving fast. here are mos you cannot miss
Every time you connect to the internet, you are at
the risk of falling prey to prying cybercrooks. They can steal your personal information, hack
into your bank accounts and even ruin your reputation. With technology at their
disposal, they are also getting dangerously inventive — deepfakes and
AI-enabled misinformation took centre stage in the recently concluded Lok Sabha
polls.
According to the data from the National Crime
Records Bureau, between Jan 1, 2020, and May 15, 2023, netizens in Gujarat made
1.59 lakh applications on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) or
helpline number 1930.It comes to 5,585 applications a month and one
every 7.5 minutes on average. Only awareness can help you stay ahead of these
cybercrooks and keep yourself from becoming their next target.
The impersonators: Fraudsters pose as bank execs or online shopping
representatives and trick their victims into revealing their WhatsApp
verification code or ask them to scan a QR code. It links the victim’s account
to the fraudster’s device. They then exploit the compromised accounts to target
contacts with requests for money, perpetuating the scam further.
AI
calls: Scammers are now employing AI to clone voices.
Victims receive calls under the pretext of emergency and the caller’s voice
sounds like that of a relative/friend in distress. The victims are then asked
to quickly transfer large sums of money to help their loved ones.
'Power play: Criminals pose as govt officials, intimidating victims
with threats of disconnection from public utilities unless they pay the forged
bills, causing fear and financial loss.
Quite respect-fool: Scammers exploit victims’ respect for the military by posing as Army officers and manipulate them into giving away their money.
Dubious policy: Fraudsters pose as employees of insurance firms and
promise to help you discontinue the policy and get the surrender value. They
keep demanding money from you on the pretext of releasing the amount and once
you have transferred the money, they disappear.
ID scam: Cybercrooks obtain photo ID cards of people through
agents who enrol citizens in various govt schemes.
Using these documents, they acquire SIM cards to
make con calls to defraud people. Likewise, if you haven’t bothered to retrieve
copies of your identification documents from a bank executive after an
unsuccessful attempt to obtain a bank card or personal loan, you may be in for
similar trouble.
Deepfakes: Deepfake videos are generated via AI tools that use
facial reenactment. It involves studying pre-recorded video footage of a person
and then applying their facial expressions to someone else via AI-face swap
tools.
Lovestruck: Scammers posing as rich NRIs lure singles into a relationship and
propose marriage to them. They then call up their targets, saying they are at
an Indian airport, but can’t leave the premises without paying certain charges
since they are carrying foreign currency. The victims transfer the money asked
for and the crooks disappear.
Badlapur: Cybercrooks avenge perceived ill-treatment or
humiliation by creating fake Instagram accounts and sending friend requests to
their targets. They lure them into exchanging explicit chats and nude photos
and later blackmail them or send the screenshots to the victim’s family.
Custom-Ary Call: Fraudsters posing as customs officials call up
people to tell them that a parcel in their name has been found with drugs in
it. They also send forged CBI letters and make video calls to the gullible
target to “settle the case”. A few days ago, the Union finance ministry advised
people to stay vigilant and said that customs officials never get in touch with
individuals over phone or through email to ask them to remit customs duties in
private accounts. Be alert.
Sim Cloning: Fraudsters gain access to a phone’s data and
clone it in many ways. They can use a SIM scanner, which is a small device that
enables them to scan a phone from a short distance. Sometimes, scammers make
people apply for a new SIM card by sending links, which the victims unwittingly
click on. This enables the fraudster to obtain key information from the
victim’s mobile and replicate their digital identity.
Pharming: A type of attack where victims are directed to
fraudulent websites or miscreants manipulate victims’ computer systems to
collect sensitive info. Be very careful while clicking on any link.
OTP fraud: Criminals bypass OTP security by duping bank customers
into revealing OTPs to access their accounts and steal money.
Crypto fraud: Gangs making fake cryptocurrencies create fake profiles
of USDT traders and dupe people by offering to sell them USDT cryptocurrencies
at half the market price. Once the victims invest their money, the callers go
incommunicado.
CIBIL trouble: Cybercrooks have been running a distinctive scheme
that exploits victims’ CIBIL scores and demand money to improve them.
Commission fraud: Scammers lure netizens into earning from
movie-ticketing business. They are asked to buy tickets in bulk, and watch and
rate the films to claim commission. But here’s the catch: To get the
commission, they must buy more tickets.
(Un)lucky draw: Criminals hack into databases to target
individuals based on their spending history, tricking them into believing they
have won a prize and then extort money.
Trafficking for fraud: Syndicates lure youths with false promises of
foreign jobs, particularly in Cambodia, Laos and the Golden Triangle Special
Economic Zone, only to force them into working at call centres engaged in
credit card fraud and fraudulent cryptocurrency investments using fake applications
and honey trapping.
Recruitment fraud: Cybercriminals exploit professionals by
conducting fake interviews and demanding payments to register for non-existent
jobs. Money is gone, and so is the promised job and the imaginary pay package.
Stock shock: Stock market junkies are lured into investing in
shares with ‘upper circuit’ potential on the promise of good returns. They are
made to download links. They end up investing lakhs, but get no money back.
Edu loan fraud: Shady firms “hire” students from campuses and misuse
their documents to secure education loans without their knowledge. Besides
irregular salaries, they also face considerable financial distress in the form
of EMIs for loans they never took.
Sextortion: Cybercrooks click screenshots of their nude selves along with the
faces of the hapless victims who pick their calls. They then disconnect the
calls and use the screenshots to extort money out of the victims, who even
include women.
Info bites back: Youngsters posting every little detail about
their lives, including videos and pictures on social media about their
hangouts, might become fodder for cybercrooks.
The criminals exploit these posts to scam
parents, falsely claiming their children have been booked in crimes.
Source:
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Noose tightened on cyber criminals in Prayagraj, over 6K mobile numbers blocked
By HT Correspondent, Prayagraj
Jun 23, 2024 10:54 PM
IST
Efforts are being made not only to seize these bank accounts but also get the cash returned to the victims, say police
With a view to tightening noose on cyber criminals, the cyber cell of the Prayagraj police is getting their mobile numbers blocked and bank accounts seized. “In the last six months, the cyber cell has got 6,414 mobile numbers used by cyber fraudsters blocked. Also, over a dozen cyber criminals have been held during the said period,” said additional DCP, crime, Satish Chandra.
These fraudsters were based in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Delhi, he added. They were targeting bank customers using these numbers, the cop said.
Moreover, cyber cell has also taken action on bank accounts used by the cyber criminals. The investigation so far has revealed that around 574 bank accounts are run by cyber fraudsters in which cash of fraud victims are transferred.
Cyber cell
in-charge Vinod Yadav said in the first phase, 49 bank accounts had been seized
while letters were being forwarded to concerned bank authorities to seize other
bank accounts as well. “Efforts are being made not only to seize these bank
accounts but also get the cash returned to the victims,” he added.
Meanwhile, police investigation has revealed that cyber criminals are now taking bank, ATM cards and passbooks details of the poor and labourers and are using their accounts for transferring cash of fraud victims.
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Six men arrested for cyber fraud, impersonation of govt officials
Jun 24, 2024 05:58 AM
IST
Six arrested for posing as officials and duping people in Aadhaar scam. 72 cases registered, ₹32,065,003 found in one accused's account. Working for Chinese nationals for commission.
The caller claimed that a parcel was booked using the
victim’s Aadhaar card and phone number, and contained passports, bank cards,
clothes, a laptop, cash, and drugs. (File Photo)
Six men were arrested from Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra for their alleged involvement in a scam, in which they posed as
custom and police officials and duped people of lakhs of rupees by telling them
that their Aadhaar cards were used in illegal activities, Delhi Police officers
aware of the matter said on Sunday.
In total, 72 cases were registered against the accused on the
National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, they added.
Police said that ₹32,065,003
was found credited to the accounts of one of the accused. They were all working
at the behest of Chinese nationals and had provided their bank accounts for
transactions to earn commission, they added.
Deputy
commissioner of police (DCP) (east) Apoorva Gupta said that the accused were
identified as Ansh Kumar, 24 and Samarth, 23, of Rohtak in Haryana, Pranjal
Kumar Sahni, 24, of Balia in Uttar Pradesh, Satender Dhaker, 29, of Morena in
Madhya Pradesh, Vedant Prabhakar, 26, of Panvel in Maharashtra, and Vishal
Joshi, 25, of Kirari in Delhi.
DCP Gupta said
that on April 30, they received a complaint from a man, Deepanshu Vaid, a
resident of Vasundhara Enclave, saying that he received a call from an unknown
number on the previous day and the caller introduced himself as a FedEx Express
employee based in Mumbai.
“The caller claimed that a parcel was booked using his Aadhaar
card and phone number, and contained passports, bank cards, clothes, a laptop,
cash, and drugs. So, the call was transferred to Mumbai Cyber Police. Under the
pretext of saving him from legal entanglement, the caller duped him of ₹2.49 lakh,” Gupta said.
A cheating case was the registered along with other Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections and investigation was taken up.
Beware, cybercrooks can steal your money without OTP too
You are sent a message
that looks to have bee forwarded from a bank. Once you click the link, the
money is stolen from your account without an OTP.
Representative image
Updated on: 23
Jun 2024, 1:55 pm
BENGALURU: As technology advances, fraudsters are employing new
techniques to swindle people. We all think that without One Time Passwords
(OTPs), money cannot be transferred, but now cyber fraudsters can take the
money away from your account without an OTP too.
This is how
the scam works. You are sent a message that looks to have bee forwarded from a
bank. Once you click the link, the money is stolen from your account without an
OTP. Over Rs 40 lakh has been stolen from Bengaluru Rural district alone using
this technique.
Cybercriminals
are also employing more-sophisticated Remote Access Trojans (RAT) and Android
Application Package (APK) software to scam people. A senior officer said RATs
and APKs are software that allow cybercriminals to remotely control a person’s
device, without their knowledge.
An officer
explained that fraudsters create fake apps using logos of nationalised or
private banks whose security would have been breached. Fraudsters send these
app links via WhatsApp or text messages, and once the application is installed
on the phone, fraudsters can easily steal the money.
This is a
more advanced form of phishing, enabling fraudsters to bypass conventional
security measures and gain unauthorised access to sensitive information.
Earlier, these methods were used to steal money in bulk from big companies, he
added.
An officer
investigating a case said that a 35-year-old IT employee, Anusha (name
changed), lost Rs 20 lakh. She had received a link on WhatsApp that appeared to
be from her bank. The message suggested she install the app to get updates from
the bank. “As soon as she opened the link, the phone came under the control of
fraudsters. After similar cases were reported from different parts of the state
and the police alerted bank officials, the bank took preventive security
measures, and now such cases have reduced,” the official explained.
A cyber
expert, Suresh, said the only way to escape from such frauds is not to click on
links in text or WhatsApp messages. Banks send transaction alerts only to the
text message inbox and advise turning off mobile data to prevent applications
from downloading.
On May 21,
the Hassan sub-division DySP reportedly lost Rs 15.98 lakh after installing an
application of a nationalised bank that was forwarded him through a text
message. The link had an APK or RAT file. An investigation officer from Hassan
said that soon after the money was stolen, it was transferred to multiple mule
accounts. It was found that the accused had used 900 SIMs with the same IMEI
number.
Source
(https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2024/Jun/23/beware-cybercrooks-can-steal-your-money-without-otp-too)
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First FIR at cyber crime police station: Ludhiana resident duped of ₹4.35 crore
By HT Correspondent, Ludhiana
Jun 22, 2024 10:44 PM
IST
According to the victim, he was added to a WhatsApp group where the accused shared investment tips; He alleged that the accused lured the victim on the pretext of high profits and made him invest through them
The recently established cyber crime police station registered its first first-information report on Friday after a complaint by a city resident who was duped of ₹4.35 crore on the pretext of investment for quick profits.
The accused were identified as Tanvi Sharma, Mander Pawar, Shivani S Qurin, Jyoti Sharma, Sharan Gupta, Bikram Patel and Anjali Sharma.
According to the victim, he was added to a WhatsApp group where the accused shared investment tips. He alleged that the accused lured the victim on the pretext of high profits and made him invest through them. The victim, Rashpal Singh of Model Town, had filed a police complaint on June 3. An FIR has been registered after an investigation.
Inspector Jatinder Singh, in-charge cyber crime police station, said that the victim said that he used to invest in the stock market. He was added to a WhatsApp group in which people shared investment tips. The accused made the victim invest in certain stocks. In the beginning, the accused got profits from small investments. Later, the accused made the victim invest big and kept telling him his shares were growing. The accused then disappeared.
The inspector added that the victim lost ₹4.35 crore. A case under sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the accused.
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Chennai police bust international network involved in online financial scams
Police said the scamsters, consisting of Indian and Malaysian nationals, obtained SIM cards and set up bank accounts in India, and then operated out of Malaysia and Cambodia, targeting Tamil-speaking persons
Published - June 20, 2024 01:43 pm IST - CHENNAI
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai
City Police has busted a gang that procured SIM cards illegally and operated
current accounts from India that were being used by cyber
fraudsters operating out of Malaysia and Cambodia,
targeting Tamil-speaking people.
The city police unearthed the network
following the detention of a Malaysian-Chinese passenger at the Chennai airport
a few ago. The passenger was in possession of Indian SIM cards. Police said
Anil Kumar, Assistant Foreign Regional Registration Officer, Bureau of
Immigration, Chennai International Airport, reported on Sunday (June 16, 2024)
that Malaysian national Lee Tiek Yein, aged 32, was caught while he was
boarding a flight bound for Malaysia with 22 SIM cards that had been
fraudulently obtained.
After an enquiry, the immigration officers
found that these cards were to be used for cyber/bank frauds. Based on this
report, a case was registered at Forgery Investigation Wing (FIW) of the
CCB, Chennai and the accused person, LeeTiek Yein was arrested and remanded
judicial custody on Monday, June 17, as per a court order.
Based on information given by Yein, a special
police team conducted further investigations and arrested seven others
including three Malaysian nationals: Ganesan, Tang Ching Kun, Mahendran
and four Indian nationals: Mohammed Manazir of Coonoor, Ramjai of Salem,
Rajwinder Singh of Punjab and Surya Prakash of Madurai, and sent them all to
judicial custody.
A total of of 550 SIM cards, two laptops, 33
bank account passbook/cheque book, 20 ATM cards, 23 mobile phones, one BMW
Car, Malaysian currency amounting to 5485 Ringgits, and Singapore currency
were seized from the accused persons.
A senior police officer said the
investigation revealed that the gang consisting of Indians and Malaysian nationals
procured SIM cards using the credentials of Indian nationals from here, and set
up current accounts at banks here. They then sent all the SIM cards and
bank details to foreign countries such as Malaysia and Cambodia for use in
cyber financial frauds such as the Fedex scam, trading scams,
loan app scams etc.
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Noida woman put under digital arrest for 5 days, duped of ₹1.30 crore
By Arun Singh
Jun 22, 2024 06:34 AM
IST
The fraudster directed her not to disconnect the call even for a minute or reveal the process of investigation to anyone to avoid facing any legal action
On June 13, one of the suspects called up the woman, claiming
that he belonged to a courier firm based at Andheri in Mumbai, and a parcel,
containing incriminating items and belonging to her, has been found.
(Representational image)
Noida: A 73-year-old woman in Noida was allegedly duped of ₹1.3 crore by cybercrime frauds who placed her under “digital arrest” through a video call for five days since June 13, on the pretext of giving her a police clearance certificate. The suspects accused her of being involved in a money laundering case, police officers aware of the matter said on Friday.
Assistant commissioner of police (cybercrime), Noida, Vivek
Ranjan, said that the complainant, Suchi Agrawal, lives with her husband at
Sector 49, and their son is based in the United States.
On June 13, one of the suspects called up Agrawal and said that he belonged to a courier firm based at Andheri in Mumbai, and a parcel, containing incriminating items and belonging to her, has been found. Other suspects also posed as investigating officers and asked her to either visit Mumbai for questioning or else she will be connected to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai, for a probe, investigators said.
The woman, who avoided taking calls from her family members,
ended up transferring ₹1.30 crore
over the next five days. She also managed to keep her husband in the dark while
he was under the same roof, they added.
“In her police
complaint, filed on Thursday, Agrawal said that she received a call from an
unidentified mobile number. The caller said... an illegal packet in her name
has been seized. The details of her Aadhaar and PAN cards as well as passport
were found inside the box containing some illegal items,” Ranjan said.
“She was later told that she was also found to be involved in a hawala transaction for which she would need to visit Mumbai ‘for questioning’ or he would connect her to NCB Mumbai for investigation,” the officer said citing the complaint.
“The fraudster then connected with Agrawal through a video call and directed her not to disconnect the call even for a minute or reveal the process of investigation to anyone if she did not want to face any legal action,” said ACP Ranjan. Agrawal, who was terrified, remained on the call for five days without informing her husband, who was in another room.
“Whenever she
got a call from a family member or friend, she disconnected it… She is familiar
to net banking and transferred ₹1.30 crore
in installments during the five days. The suspect managed to get her bank
balance details on the pretext of questioning,” the officer added.
“On the fifth day, the fraudster disconnected the video call and told her that she would receive the police clearance certificate in the next 24 hours. But when she did not get any certificate, and found that the caller’s mobile number was also switched off, she realised that she had been duped,” added ACP Ranjan.
She narrated her ordeal to her husband and approached the cybercrime branch on Thursday.
On the complaint
of the victim, a case under sections 419 (punishment for cheating by
personation) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly) of the Indian Penal Code and IT
Act was registered against the unidentified accused at the cybercrime branch at
midnight and efforts are on to nab the accused, police said.
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