The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Online Scam

  • Fake ‘Brad Pitt’ Scams Two Women Out Of Rs 3 Crore With False Romance |

    New Delhi: Scammers impersonating famous celebrities are nothing new. In a shocking case, Spanish police have arrested five individuals for defrauding two women out of €325,000 (over Rs 3 crore) by pretending to be Hollywood star Brad Pitt. The scammers reached out to the victims via emails and WhatsApp. They faked romantic interest and convinced them to invest in bogus projects.

    How did the scammers find and target their victims?

    The scammers initially connected with the women through a Brad Pitt fan page. They built a fake sense of trust and used emotional manipulation to execute their scheme. They carefully researched the victims’ online profiles, especially on social media to find and target those who seemed vulnerable.

    Targeting Vulnerable Individuals

    Spanish authorities disclosed that the scammers specifically targeted women going through emotional struggles and personal difficulties. “The cybercriminals studied the victims’ social media profiles and created psychological profiles, discovering that both women were vulnerable, lonely, and battling depression,” Spain’s Guardia Civil police told The Guardian.

    One victim from Andalusia was scammed out of €175,000 (around Rs 2 crore), while another victim from the Basque Country lost €150,000 (over Rs 1 crore).

  • Beware! PIB Alerts Public To New India Post PAN Card Scam: Here’s How To Verify SMS Authenticity |

    New Delhi: A fake SMS warning customers that their India Post Payments Bank account will be blocked within 24 hours unless they update their PAN card is making the rounds on social media. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit has confirmed that this message is not genuine and is falsely claiming to be from India Post.

    They stressed that India Post does not send notifications about PAN card updates and urged the public to be vigilant and cautious about these deceptive messages.

    In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), PIB Fact Check stated, “Claim: The customer’s India Post Payments bank account will be blocked within 24 hours if their Pan card is not updated. #PIBFactCheck:  This claim is #Fake @IndiaPostOffice never sends any such messages Never share your personal & bank details with anyone.”

    Claim: The customer’s India Post Payments bank account will be blocked within 24 hours if their Pan card is not updated. #PIBFactCheck:

    This claim is #Fake

    @IndiaPostOffice never sends any such messages

    Never share your personal & bank details with anyone pic.twitter.com/EgLaXXarOw
    — PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) August 19, 2024

    What Is the Fake SMS Spreading on Social Media?

    “India Post Payment Bank KYC Login Dear user your India post payment bank account has been blocked today please updated your PAN Card immediately click here the link- http//surl.li/iccpf. PIB Fact Check, the government agency that debunks fake news and misinformation, has confirmed that this message is false.

    To protect yourself from scams, follow these precautions:

    – Verify Information Through Official Channels: Contact the company directly via their official website or phone number if you receive a message that seems to be from them.

    – Avoid Clicking on Links: Do not click on links in unexpected or suspicious messages, as they could be phishing attempts.

    – Exercise Caution with Unexpected Messages: Be wary of texts from unknown senders or organisations you don’t usually interact with.

    – Never Share Personal Information via SMS: Do not share sensitive details like bank account numbers or passwords through text messages.

    – Report Suspicious Messages: Report any fraudulent SMS to your mobile service provider and relevant authorities.

  • Scammer Tries To Con This Man, Ends Up Going Viral: Watch Shocking Encounter |

    New Delhi: In today’s world, scammers are becoming bolder and more sophisticated which makes it essential for us to stay careful. A recent video that’s going viral on X (formerly Twitter) captures this perfectly. In the clip, a victim confronts a scammer who has been caught in the act leading to a tense exchange. 

    Imagine getting a call that seems just a quick account verification but it turns out to be a scam attempt. That’s exactly what happened to one man who was nearly tricked into losing Rs 8,999 through a UPI scam. He followed the caller’s instructions carefully but when it came time to enter his UPI PIN something didn’t feel right. Realising it was a scam, he wisely refused to enter the PIN, saving himself from the fraud just in time.

    “A new way of scam has been introduced in the market,” That’s the caption for a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).

    A new way of scam has been introduced in the market.. pic.twitter.com/5yJkmBvD2a
    — Simple man (@Simple__Banda_) August 6, 2024

    In the video making rounds on X (formely Twitter), a scammer attempts to trick a man into losing Rs 8,999 through a UPI scam. The scammer tells the man to initiate a UPI payment and claims that he will receive the money in his account after entering his UPI pin. As the man follows the steps and reaches the pin entry page, he becomes suspicious. When he questions why he needs to enter his pin, the scammer tries to reassure him, saying it’s just for account verification.

    As the man hesitated and was worried that he might lose Rs 8,999 instead of receiving it, the scammer boldly suggested he could file a complaint if anything went wrong. This raised a red flag, prompting the man to challenge the scammer about using a fake 15-digit phone number. Despite the scammer’s persistent efforts to get him to enter his UPI pin, the man stood his ground, refusing to fall for the scam.

    Realising he’s been caught, the scammer tries to bluff his way out and claims that the police can’t trace his number and that he’s using a voice assistant. But when the man reveals he’s been recording the call and plans to share it online, the scammer quickly turns to threats, warning that he’ll hack the man’s phone if he goes through with it.

  • Noida Doctor Loses Rs 59 Lakh In 48-Hour ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam |

    New Delhi: A woman doctor from Noida recently lost Rs 59 lakh after falling victim to a scam involving a fake ‘digital arrest’ that lasted 48 hours. This alarming scam tactic which is becoming more common in the Delhi NCR region tricks individuals into believing they’re under digital arrest, leading them to make large payments to escape the supposed legal trouble.

    Dr. Pooja Goyal, a gynaecologist, reported that the scam occurred between July 15 and 16. She has since filed a complaint with the Noida Cyber Crime Police Station.

    Fraudster Poses as TRAI Official

    Dr. Goyal in her complaint explained that she received a call on July 13 from someone pretending to be an official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller claimed that her phone was being used to distribute pornographic videos.

    Victim Transfers Rs 59.54 Lakh

    Dr. Goyal denied the allegations but the caller convinced her to join a video call where he informed her she was under ‘digital arrest.’ After 48 hours of being questioned she finally transferred Rs 59.54 lakh to an account as instructed by the caller. However, she later realised that she had been scammed and filed a complaint with Noida Police on July 22.

    Police Confirm Action Will Be Taken

    Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime) Vivek Ranjan Rai confirmed they have the account details where the money was sent. He mentioned, “We are verifying the details, and action will be taken”, as reported by NDTV.

    Noida Police Issues Scam Warning

    Noida Police issued a warning about these types of scams. According to the advisory, “In recent months, around ten such incidents have been reported, leading to registered FIRs and ongoing investigations,” 

    Advisory Urges Reporting Suspicious Calls

    The advisory further stated “If a suspicious call claims that legal action is being taken or asks for personal or financial information, citizens should immediately report it to the nearest police station or cyber cell,”.

    What is Digital house arrest?

    Digital house arrest is a tactic where cybercriminals confine victims to their homes to scam them. Offenders generate fear by making audio or video calls, frequently posing as law enforcement officers using AI-generated voices or video technology.

  • IGL Scam Alert: Fraudsters Send Fake Disconnection Notices—Here’s How To Stay Safe |

    New Delhi: Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) is alerting customers about a new scam involving gas connections. Fraudsters are sending fake disconnection notices and pressuring people to pay false bills.

    Understanding the Scam:

    Scammers are calling or texting customers and threatening to disconnect their gas supply if they don’t pay an overdue bill. Moreover to create panic, these messages often include a fake deadline and phony customer service number. When victims call on the number they are pressured to make immediate online payments.

    IGL’s Advisory and Recommendations:

    IGL has issued an advisory about the scam and urged customers to be cautious. They recommend that people only pay their bills through the official IGL website to avoid falling victim to these fraudsters.

    “Attention IGL PNG Customers! Be alert for fraudulent calls and messages claiming to be from Indraprastha Gas Limited. These scams often request you to download an app or click on links for bill payments, sometimes threatening service disconnection.#Fraudalert,” IGL posted on X.

     Attention IGL PNG Customers! 
    Be alert for fraudulent calls and messages claiming to be from Indraprastha Gas Limited. These scams often request you to download an app or click on links for bill payments, sometimes threatening service disconnection. #Fraudalert pic.twitter.com/OAvEP27eKE


    — Indraprastha Gas Ltd (@IGLSocial) July 16, 2024

    How To Protect Yourself From the IGL Scam

    – Be Cautious with Unknown Messages: Be wary of messages from unknown numbers.

    – Don’t Panic: If you’ve already paid your bills, there’s no need to worry.

    – Check for Errors: Look for grammatical mistakes and incorrect punctuation in the message. Official messages won’t have these errors.

    – Avoid Calling Numbers in Messages: Don’t call the number provided in the message. Instead, go directly to the IGL website if you need to make a payment.

    – Watch for Fraud Alerts: When you visit the official IGL website, look for the pop-up notification “FRAUD ALERT Notice to IGL PNG customers.”

  • Beware iPhone Users! Government Issues Warning On ‘Transnational Scam’— Here’s How To Stay Safe |

    New Delhi: Indian iPhone users are facing a new security threat as warned by Cyber Dost, the cybersecurity initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs. They have warned that a text pretending to be from India Post is actually a trap. Clicking on the link in this message could allow hackers to infiltrate the user’s system, install malicious software, and access sensitive data for exploitation.

    The scam works through deceptive SMS messages that mimic official communication from India Post. These messages falsely claim that a parcel delivery attempt failed due to “incomplete address information.” They create urgency by urging users to update their contact details within 48 hours to prevent the package from being returned. (Also Read: Samsung Z Fold 6 Vs Vivo X Fold 3 Pro : Which Foldable Phone Wins? Price, Display, Camera, & More Compared)

    New Transnational #Scam Alert:#iPhone users are learnt to be receiving scam messages via #iMessage regarding package / courier from random accounts. Clicking on suspicious links may be avoided and read receipts may be disabled for such messages.@Apple @AppleSupport @GoI_MeitY pic.twitter.com/IsMJj0ogiS
    — Cyber Dost (@Cyberdost) July 9, 2024

    Cyber Dost’s tweet mentions, “New Transnational #Scam Alert: #iPhone users are learnt to be receiving scam messages via #iMessage regarding package / courier from random accounts. Clicking on suspicious links may be avoided and read receipts may be disabled for such messages.” 

    Important Tips to Avoid This Scam

    – Avoid Clicking on Suspicious Links: Do not click on any links in messages claiming to be from India Post or any other official-sounding source, especially if they create a sense of urgency.

    – Verify Sender Information: Check the sender’s contact details carefully. Official messages from India Post will come from verified sources, not random accounts.

    – Disable Read Receipts: Turn off read receipts for messages from unknown senders to avoid giving scammers confirmation that you’ve seen their message.

    – Never Share Sensitive Information: Never share your bank account information or send money to unknown individuals, as this could lead to financial loss and identity theft.

    – Update Directly via Official Channels: If you receive a message about a failed parcel delivery, contact India Post directly through their official website or customer service number to verify the claim.

    What are transnational scams?

    A transnational scam involves crimes that span multiple countries. Scammers utilise digital platforms to transfer money across borders, sometimes using cryptocurrencies to evade detection.

  • Noida’s Fake Call Center Scam: How Rs 2,500 Data Purchase Led To Multi-Crore Fraud |

    New Delhi: In a shocking revelation, the police have uncovered a multi-crore scam operated from a fake call center in Noida. The scammers purchased phone data online for just Rs 2,500 which they then used to defraud hundreds of individuals.

    The gang was operating from a call center on the fourth floor of a market in Sector 51. They were busted on Friday in a joint operation by the Crime Response Team (CRT) and local Sector 49 police officials, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shakti Mohan Avasthy reported.

    Main Suspects and Modus Operandi

    The primary suspects identified as Ashish and Jitendra. They hired nine women to work as call center executives. These women would call people and sell them fake loan and insurance policies. 

    The scammers started their fraudulent activities after working for SBI Life Insurance in 2019. They Purchased data of around 10,000 people from India Mart for just Rs 2,500 and began calling people across India pretending to offer loans and insurance, as disclosed by a police official.

    The gang enticed people from states outside the NCR with promises of high returns on loans and insurance policies. The women involved assisted Ashish and Jitendra on a commission basis. The women received their share in cash, a police spokesperson explained.

    They rented a PNB bank account from a person named Arvind in Karnataka for Rs 10,000 per month. The key suspects then used the ATM card associated with this account to withdraw the funds.

    Ashish kept a black diary to record all financial transactions and shared the profits with his associates based on their contributions, the police spokesperson said. The scheme had been operational for over a year, generating crores of rupees. All of this was recorded in the recovered diary.

    The accused used mobile phones with SIM cards obtained using fake Aadhaar cards which they purchased at higher prices from vendors. These SIM cards were used to hide their identities while targeting unsuspecting victims outside the Delhi NCR.

    The police named the main suspects as Ashish Kumar alias Amit and Jitendra Verma alias Abhishek. They also arrested nine women: Nisha alias Sneha, Reju alias Divya, Lovely Yadav alias Sweta, Poonam alias Pooja, Aarti Kumari alias Ananya, Kajal Kumari alias Surti, Sarita alias Suman, Babita Patel alias Mahi, and Garima Chauhan alias Sonia.

    An FIR has been filed in the case under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, and the accused were sent to judicial custody after appearing before a local magistrate’s court.

  • Tinder Date Takes Dark Turn: Delhi Cafe Meeting Costs IAS Aspirant Rs 1.2 Lakh – Read Full Story |

    New Delhi: Online dating often comes with its share of ups and downs, where each encounter can be a hit or miss. For some, a seemingly promising date can quickly turn into a nightmare. In a similar incident. When a civil service aspirant swiped right on a dating app he had no idea he was entering a scheme designed to scam men seeking love. What started as a hopeful match quickly turned into a cautionary tale about the unexpected risks of online dating.

    The victim, an IAS aspirant, whose name was withheld by the police on Sunday arrived at the Black Mirror Cafe in East Delhi’s Vikas Marg area to celebrate the birthday of Versha, a woman he had recently matched with on Tinder.

    At the cafe, they ordered snacks, two cakes, and four shots of a non-alcoholic drink. Everything seemed fine until Versha suddenly left and claimed that there’s a “family emergency”. When the man finished his meal and asked for the bill he was shocked to see a total of Rs 1,21,917.70, an outrageous amount for food that should have cost only a few thousand. (Also Read: Snowblind Malware Explained: Know How It Steals Bank Data From Android Devices)

    After this, the victim raised objections to the bill but he faced threats, confinement and was forced to pay the huge amount. He eventually transferred the amount online to Akshay Pahwa, one of the cafe’s owners. Pahwa, aged 32 resides in Shahdara, East Delhi has completed education up to class 10. (Also Read: TRAI Modifies Rules For New SIM Replacement Under Mobile Number Portability)

    Once he got out of the cafe he immediately reported the incident to the police. Inspector Sanjay Gupta led a four-member team to investigate the case which resulted in Akshay Pahwa’s arrest.

    During the investigation, he explained to the police that he along with Ansh Grover and Vansh Patwa own the Black Mirror Cafe. Akshay and Vansh are cousins while Ansh is their friend. The cafe employs several “table managers,” with one named Aryan. These managers are supervised by Digranshu. Aryan, who dropped out in Class 7 is currently unemployed.

    It was revealed by Akshay that the real identity of Varsha is Afsaan Parveen, a 25 year old woman who also uses the names Ayesha and Noor. When the police located her, she was at another cafe on a date with a man from Mumbai whom she had connected with on Shaadi.com. Ms. Praveen described their plan to the authorities. Aryan had pretended to be Versha and invited the victim to the cafe and claimed it was to celebrate her birthday.

    Ms. Parveen left the victim to deal with a fraudulent bill after staging the family emergency and departing. The scam was carefully planned and involved different individuals who received a share of the money. Ms. Parveen received 15% of the total amount, 45% was divided among the table and cafe managers, and the remaining 40% went to the owners.

    Police disclosed that similar schemes are operating in major cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. They exploit victims through sophisticated collaborations among cafe owners, managers, and accomplices who specifically target men using dating apps.

  • 61-Year-Old Woman Falls Victim To Cyber Fraud, Loses Rs 6.56 Lakh |

    New Delhi: The advantages and efficiency brought about by technology and digitalization don’t need to be discussed, but the risks it poses becomes talk of the town these days. Scammers are introducing new ways to ditch people or laymans. You may have gone through such incidents in which scammers poses custom officials and ditch commoners.

    What Happened This Time?

    In the latest incident, unknown cybercriminals masquerading as representatives of the Delhi police and Customs Department defrauded a sixty-one-year-old woman. (Also Read: How Much Return Will You Get By Investing In SBI’s FDs? Check Here)

    According to the police, the woman received a call from someone claiming to be from the Customs department, telling her that her name had been used to smuggle drugs from Delhi to Cambodia. (Also Read: ICICI Bank Revises Service Charges For Savings Accounts: Check New Rates And Effective Date)

    They even gave her Aadhar number to further establish their legitimacy as legitimate Customs officers.

    She was then informed by the fraudsters that her bank accounts had also been used for money laundering, and they requested that she deposit Rs 6.56 lakh from her account to have this verified. They assured her that the money would be returned following verification.

    The 61-year-old lady, according to the authorities, just makes ends meet with her rent money. She received a video call on April 15 from someone claiming to be from the Customs Department.

    The caller informed her that a package containing drugs had been transported from Delhi to Cambodia using her personal information, including her Aadhar card.

    To further convince her that the caller was a Customs officer and that her Aadhar card had been used fraudulently, they even provided her with the number of her Aadhar card.

    The caller advised the complainant to come to Delhi and file a complaint with the local police after she denied any involvement in drug trafficking, according to a police official.

    Shortly after the chat ended, she received a call from a few more unidentified individuals posing as representatives of the Delhi Police Crime Branch.

    The officer continued, “They informed her that her bank accounts had been compromised for money laundering and advised her to have the accounts validated by the Reserve Bank of India. The refundable fee for the same was ₹6.56 lakh.

    Fearing legal action, the woman went to her home branch in Kandivali and used RTGS to transfer the money to the bank accounts that the accused had provided.

    The accused people assisted her with the transfer and kept in constant contact with her until the money was transferred, the officer continued.

  • Delhi Police Shares Easy Tricks To Spot Fake Online Banking Messages |

    New Delhi: With the increasing prevalence of online scams, government agencies are stepping up efforts to raise awareness among the public. Recently, the Delhi Police took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share images demonstrating how to identify fake online banking messages.

    Spotting Fake Messages

    The Delhi Police cautioned that scammers may use Cyrillic Script to conduct phishing attacks. Therefore, they advised users to carefully examine the URL of any link before clicking on it to avoid falling victim to such fraudulent schemes. (Also Read: Veg Thali Becomes Expensive In March, Non-Veg Cheaper: Check Rates)

    The Dangers Of Fake Links

    The police shared two images illustrating how seemingly genuine messages can pose a serious threat. By using Cyrillic Script, scammers can create links that closely resemble the URLs of legitimate bank websites, tricking unsuspecting users into divulging sensitive information. (Also Read: China May Use AI Content To Influence Lok Sabha Polls, Warns Microsoft Report)

    How Scammers Operate?

    Clicking on these fake links redirects users to web pages that mimic real bank websites, prompting them to enter their account numbers and passwords.

    Scammers then exploit this information for fraudulent transactions. Even if users have Two-Factor Authentication enabled, scammers may impersonate bank employees to request additional verification codes.

    Protecting Yourself

    To safeguard against such scams, individuals are advised to scrutinize any messages received from unknown numbers or containing links to bank websites.

    Paying attention to spelling mistakes or special characters in URLs can help identify fraudulent links. If in doubt, users are encouraged to search for the bank’s official website on Google and cross-check the URL.

    Remain Vigilant

    As online scams continue to evolve, users need to remain vigilant and exercise caution when interacting with messages or links from unfamiliar sources. By following these precautions, individuals can better protect themselves against falling victim to online fraud.