Beware of online frauds while going digital during the pandemic

Recently, a large retail firm cautioned that some phone numbers appearing in certain websites as belonging to the chain, have been discovered as fake. The modus operandi of these fraudsters is to entice people into placing orders over these fake phone numbers and getting them to pay using their credit cards.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, fraudsters are finding new ways to trick customers. It’s important to know how fraudsters operate in order to safeguard yourselves.

Dialling fake customer care numbers

Mumbai-based Manoj Patil, 32, ordered goods worth Rs 8,000 via a phone number that he came across after an internet search. The fraudster took his order and credit card details. After two days, when no delivery was done, Manoj realised he had been defrauded. “I tried the customer service number through which the order was placed, but it was inactive,” he says. The retail chain confirmed subsequently that no such order was placed with it.

Niranjan Upadhye, General Manager-Fraud Risk Management, Worldline India says, “Google lets a user to edit contact details if it is a business. So, fraudsters change the contact details of a super market or a retail store in certain areas. When you search for a particular store in your area to place an order, a fake number may come up on the search engine. That’s how you become an easy victim.” Visiting a retail chain’s own website is preferable for knowing the latest contact numbers.

A fraudulent appeal for help, supposedly from a friend

The next time a friend approaches you for financial help over the internet, pause for a minute. Fraudsters have been known to hack social media accounts of friends in your contact list and send you requests for financial aid in this pandemic. An emotional appeal comes with a unified payments interface (UPI) address for you to transfer money. It’s always wise to first check with your friend to confirm if she indeed needs any financial help.

Sachin Dedhia, an Independent Cyber-crime investigator and Certified Ethical Hacker says that sometimes fraudsters also use a false identity and send surveys for you to participate in. “If you click on that link, it will ask access to your social media accounts. If you click ‘yes,’ then your account gets hacked and eventually some of your contacts are trapped,” says Dedhia.

Traps with government aid promise

Fraudsters target vulnerable customers through random calls and promise government aid. They claim that an amount will be deposited in your bank account. For this ‘help,’ they seek your net-banking credentials. Upadhye says, “If you reveal your net-banking credentials, fraudsters will initiate layer transfers from your bank account. It means your money gets transferred from one account to another (fraudster’s account) and withdrawn in different states all together.”

Never share your bank credentials to unknown person on call. Upadhye says, “You should visit the relevant government department’s website to know whether any kind of relief is announced as claimed by the fraudster and if you are eligible. If it’s true, then apply on the government website instead of sharing any personal details on a call.”

Spy apps bundled with gaming apps

Many of us have taken to online gaming in these lockdown days. But occasionally, you could be giving access to your phone when you download such apps. Dr. Rajendra Patil, academician and researcher in cyber-crime says, “Sometimes, some spy applications which take full control/access over your phone, come bundled up with the gaming apps. Some apps come with links which if clicked, downloads the spy app automatically on your mobile.”

Using these spy apps, fraudsters can listen to your call recordings, even read messages. Any one-time password generated can also be compromised in this way. Use antivirus software to protect yourself from malware.

Avoid chasing free content for entertainment

Some of us find official movie streaming services costly, especially if we’ve grown up on Napster. Cyber criminals are only too happy to offer you free content. But when we search the internet for free entertainment content, we become vulnerable. “Fraudsters entice users to visit potentially malicious websites, designed to install malware or steal passwords and personal information,” says Venkat Krishnapur, Vice President of engineering and Managing Director of McAfee India.

Refrain from using illegal streaming sites as they are also riddled with malware. It is better to pay up and use the services of a genuine content app or website.