Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Have you ever received a call from an unknown number where the caller introduces himself as a close friend or relative, only to soon ask for money, claiming to be in an emergency after a failed transaction? Beware!
This is a new scam being used by fraudsters to deceive people. The city has reported two such incidents of cyber fraud in which callers impersonated relatives to request money, an official said on Wednesday. Additional DCP Sharma urged citizens to remain vigilant, saying that fraudsters may call pretending to be friends or relatives, claiming to be in an emergency and asking for money.
Always verify the identity of the caller.
CASE 1
Additional DCP Alok Kumar Sharma said that Abhishek Trivedi, an employee of a logistics company, lodged a complaint stating that he received a call from someone pretending to be his relative. The caller claimed to be in an emergency, saying that his son had been in an accident and was undergoing treatment in a hospital. As the caller’s voice resembled that of one of the complainant’s acquaintances, he trusted the story.
The caller further claimed that a transaction had failed and requested the complainant to transfer money to a doctor’s UPI ID for the hospital expenses. The caller sent a fake message indicating that Rs. 97,000 had been deposited into the complainant’s account.
Believing the message to be genuine, the complainant transferred the money as requested. However, he later came to know that no money had been received in his account and he had been defrauded of Rs. 97,000. CASE 2 In a similar incident, Mubarak Chauhan was also duped by a conman pretending to be his friend.
Using the same story involving an emergency and a doctor, the scammer duped him of Rs. 25,000.
Keeping onself safe
-Block unwanted calls as scammers can call from anywhere even if you are registered with Do Not Call registry
-Verify the caller by cross-checking with the person who is supposed to be in distress or with someone you know who can confirm the authenticity of the call
-Do not get pressurised by the fake sense of urgency created by the scammers to pressure you into taking hasty decisions
-End the conversation by disengaging with the scammer as soon as possible as they may try to manipulate you
Protect your personal information with strong passwords for your accounts and limit what you share on social media Talk to family and friends to raise awareness and help everyone stay safe
