Despite continuously releasing public advisories cautioning people from cyber frauds, scammers continue to dupe the people of India. Recently, a Ludhiana man was duped of Rs 4 lakh after fraudsters claimed that his son had been arrested in Canada for causing a fatal accident. The Ludhiana resident named Bhupinder Singh of Patti Mann village received a call from an unknown number.
The fraudster acted as a Canadian Police officer who alleged over call that his son Rajinder had been arrested in Canada for crushing a man to death in an accident. Fearing about his son's safety, Bhupinder transferred Rs 4 lakh to the fraudster's bank account.
Well, this is not the first case of cyber fraud that has taken place in India. Google is painted with such kinds of news. Now, the question is how do fraudsters get your personal details and what are the steps you can take to catch or identify cyberfraud calls? Below is everything you need to know-
How do cyber fraudsters get your personal information?
As per reports, international scammers operate through local agents who procure SIM cards and use them to open bank accounts. Often low-income individuals are persuaded to open personal or corporate accounts under fake names. These "mule accounts", whose credentials are controlled by scammers, are later used to collect or transfer money.
Personal data, primarily from Aadhaar cards, is illegally sourced from hotels, telecom companies, or accidental leaks. Scammers spend weeks studying this information. This is how the fraudsters get your private information.
How to catch or identify cyber fraud calls?
Step 1- If you are getting calls from numbers that start with, or have a prefix like +77, +89, +85, +86, +84, etc., it's time to be alert. These are fake calls, where fraudsters pose as government officials and try to dupe you of your personal information or money.
Step 2- In general, scammers' calls come with an ISD code i.e. phone call originating from a foreign country. In such calls, scammers willpose as a Police official or authorities and will threaten you that your mobile number will be disconnected since you are allegedly involved in illegal activities.
The scammers will then ask for confidential, personal information. Another key identifier of such calls is that they might create a sense of panic and urgency, forcing you to take immediate action.
Step 3- If you have received such call from cyber fraudsters then report such calls to http://sancharsaathi.gov.in within 30 days.
If you were contacted via voice call, SMS, WhatsApp message, or call, you can use the Chakshu facility on the DoT (Department of Telecommunications) website. Remember to take a screenshot of the call or message, where the sender’s or caller’s number is visible.
Step 4- In case you are a victim of cyber fraud due to such a call, simply reporting on Chakshu is not enough.
After reporting on Chakshu report the incident by dialling the cyber-crime helpline number 1930 or logging onto www.cybercrime.gov.in. It is recommended that you file a complaint within 24 hours of the incident happening to you.
(Picture from sancharsaathi.gov.in)
How to check the identity of the caller if you suspect him/her is a cyber fraudster?
If you are suspicious and want to double-check the identity of the caller or the sender, you can visit this link- (https://cybercrime.gov.in/Webform/suspect_search_repository.aspx) created by the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to cross-check their identity.
You can search through the database by using the potential scammer’s UPI ID, bank a/c details, mobile number, or email address before taking any action.
(Picture from sancharsaathi.gov.in)