Ravi opened a joint savings account with his wife, Vibha and opted for internet (online) banking. Ravi taught her how to transact online and the importance of OTP, clearly and repeatedly telling her not to divulge OTP to anyone.
One day Vibha received a call from the bank asking her to share OTP, as the Bank had decided to convert her account from silver to diamond status with more benefits.
She did share, but the caller told her that it was incorrect and asked her to recheck, but she stood her ground. In fact, OTP was 4208, but she shared only half of the OTP i.e. 2104, as it was a joint account.
Whether it was ignorance or over application of mind, it proved to be a bliss for the couple, as the money remained intact in the account. But all are not that fortunate.
The issue of cyber crime has assumed a serious proportion now. The fraudsters are daily coming up with new ideas to defraud people online. Their only motive is that you either share OTP with them or click a link given by them.
I think it all started with lottery scam. The message would say,
“You have won a lottery amount of ten million pounds or dollars, but to get the same you have to deposit Rs. 25000 towards processing fee in a particular account.”
Once you part with the money, they will block your phone.
Then came KYC scam. The message would read like this,
“Your SBI / Yono account will be blocked today. Please update your KYC (or PAN card) today by clicking this link…..”
Such a message is sent by fraudsters at random even to those who have no account in SBI. Moreover, there will be no bank name in the given link. Grammatical errors in such messages are also common. One can easily guess it’s not from a genuine source. No bank calls its customers for KYC updation, but credulous people don’t apply mind and lose money.
Then came matchmaking scam. A message will be sent on Facebook or other media. If you are a male, the message will be invariably from a female from London or New York, and vice versa. Then there will be exchange of WhatsApp numbers and pleasantries and further interactions to know each other better.
Finally he will send a token gift, that will be invariably caught in customs and someone supposedly from Customs House will ask for customs duty for clearance, but amount would have to be credited in some personal account instead of any government account.
There are also cases of emotional blackmail that he has suffered a loss in business or met with an accident, and needs money immediately. Once you part with substantial money and realise that you have been taken for a ride, it will be too late.
Sextortion cases are also on the rise. A man receives a nude video call from a woman, who records the video with him in frame and later blackmail him demanding money. If man refuses to pay, the fraudster posing as police officer will demand money to save him from getting arrested.
Recently a movie scam came to the fore. A link was being sent to see a new movie e.g. The Kashmir Files on your mobile. Several people lost millions of their rupees after opening the link.
Then came Telephone bill payment scam. Scammers target people by sending them message on WhatsApp or via SMS mostly in the evening as under:
“Your electricity power will disconnect at 9.30 p.m. as your last month’s bill was not updated. Call us on mobile no………”
When you call the number and say that the bill has already been paid, they will ask to download a link to update the same. Once you do it, their purpose will be served.
It has been followed by an employment scam. The message will read as under:
“Dear, you have passed our interview, wage is 8000 Rs/Day. Please contact to discuss details. This is our link …….”
You will be surprised to receive such a message, as you have not applied or appeared in any interview for job, but they just throw the net to catch the needy or gullible fish.
Though the government has taken measures to help the victims by circulating a portal and number to report and track the related crime, but criminals go scot-free, as there is no lamination of any geographical boundaries.
Cyber criminals operate across world and they need not be physically present at the scene to commit the crime. The fast operational speed of today’s computer makes criminal activities very difficult to detect.
There are a number of malwares like SOVA that target banking apps to steal personal information. Don’t instal any app by clicking on links or from an unofficial store.
It’s better not to get allured by attractive offers. As soon as you click the link, you will get entrapped. So don’t share personal information or OTP and never click on phishing emails and dodgy links. And be in peace.
One must remember nobody gives anything for free. There is no free lunch in this world.
–Kaushal Kishore
Excellent, interesting and very informative post, Kaushal ji. ♥️♥️♥️😊😊😊. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
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Well said, Aparna ji. Thank you! I’m glad you found it useful 😊💐💖
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Nice Post Sir.
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Thank you, Verma ji.
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It is good to remind us of all the schemes that are going on. Here the scammers are getting very good at imitating emails from DHL or the postoffice or companies. We never click on links in emails or messages, but go to the relevant website and enter with our passwords.
In Denmark we also had a series of Nigerian princes, who wanted to get money out of the country, millions, of course, and they needed your account details. For letting them use your account, you would get 10% of the sum, which was still very handsome. 😉
Now they are Ugandan princes …
There are also scams, when one wants to sell something (private to private). Never trust any buyer, who works with the Wxxxxxn Uxxxn Bank.
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I had heard about Nigerian princes or what they call 419 or money mule. The fact is that such fraudsters are now everywhere and they misuse cross-border communication for this heinous acts. Every day I’m getting such messages, but what to do? Take care as much possible at our end. Thank you, Stella, for sharing your own views and opinions!!
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classic panchttantra tell :- lalach buri bala hai
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बिल्कुल सही कहा आपने! पर कुछ लोग ऐसी कहानी को चरितार्थ करने के लिए पैदा हुए हैं।
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Thank you, Kaushal, for the list of scams as avoiding being caught in any is my
lifelong aim. I think it helps if you are not greedy ad logical – if I didn’t enter a
lottery or some other offer why would I get involved. I usually put the receiver down when someone calls with an obviously fraudulent statement.
Joanna
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That’s the best you do, Joanna! But unfortunately I have found even well educated, senior bureaucrats falling in the trap. God save us. Thank you for sharing your reflections!
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You are more than welcome!
Joanna
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Great post, KK. Very informative. Thanks for sharing 💕
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I’m happy that you found it useful. Thanks so much, Grace 😊💖
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My pleasure 💕
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Most of us have been on the receiving end of these cyber crime phone calls; I certainly have but fortunately I’ve never been a victim. My husband refuses to do any online banking. At first I thought he was being paranoid but I’ve come to see the benefits of not going that route. It takes a little more time out of my day to write checks but we’d rather be safe than sorry. Cyber crime is rampant and much of it cannot be avoided but if we are vigilant, we can get away relatively unscathed. Thanks for a very important and informative post, KK.
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The keyword is… vigilant. If we are vigilant, such mishaps can be avoided. Cheques are also not safe, as I had mentioned this in my story, “Exposed”. Though before making payment, banks have now started calling the customer to check whether the cheque has been actually issued by him or her. You see, the scamsters can find loopholes anywhere. So again, be vigilant. Thank you, Nancy for sharing your thoughts!
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These are great tips . I live in Nigeria, literally the world’s capital on Cyber crime, I’ve come across some of these criminals. Thank you for sharing ❤️
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Yes, Nigerian princes and 419 are very famous, rather notorious. They use innovative ways to defraud money, preferably in Bitcoins. Thank you for liking and commenting 😊💖
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It’s so maddening KK and they pray off the senior population. Timely and important share.. Thanks my friend💗
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You’re right, senior citizens are easy preys, but believe me, they don’t leave anybody. They want to be rich overnight. Thank you, Cindy ❤️
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they sure are.. my poor FIL had a horrible fall out and I’ve had my fair share and i thought i was smart.. YIKES! 🥹 Thanks for the awareness and you’re welcome💞
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You too, Cindy! Take care, sharks are everywhere ❤️❤️
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Thanks 🙏 yikes I know! 💕
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Very informative post. It’s totally true, if someone offering you something for free, there is definitely some hideous reason behind it. One should always be alert, and on guard.
These cyber people, they have so much talent, but instead of using their skills for something good, they use it for evil, such shame.
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I have also received such messages asking for processing fee etc for giving me a handsome prize. I replied, “please deduct this amount from my prize money and send the rest.” But you never know when and how these crooked fellows strike us, as they daily come out with new types of frauds. They want to be rich overnight. But we have to be cautious. Thank you for reading and commenting!
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Money earned through illegal means won’t get them far, but sure to hell!
Thanks for sharing the information.
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Thanks for sharing KK🙏💕
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It was my pleasure! Thanks 👍❤️
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You are welcome KK ❤
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Thank you for the information, it’s good to be reminded. It’s terrible for the innocent victims 😥
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You’re right, I have seen how people feel so cheated by those unscrupulous elements. Thank you for liking and commenting!
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Thank you, you are welcome!
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If only people would put their creative minds to work for good rather than evil. Thank you for breaking those all down so succinctly! 💞
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In fact, people need easy money, they want to be rich overnight, without realising how the victims would feel. Thank you, Sawn, for appreciating the article. 😊💖
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