Maharashtra Cyber Police warns senior citizens about growing cyber scams and fraud tactics | Representative Image
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Cyber police have issued an alert for senior citizens warning them about the different scams used by the cyber-criminals to target them. Some of the common scams used by the criminals according to the police are digital arrest scams, investment frauds, sextortion and phishing scams.
“Scammers are targeting senior citizens with new trends. Some of such crimes are digital arrest scams, there is no such thing as digital arrest. Fraudsters may pretend to be police officials threatening arrest unless you pay a fine online. Authorities will never ask for money online or threaten arrest over a call,” the alert stated.
Another fraud used by scammers to target senior citizens are investment frauds. “Scammers lure with promises of high returns but these are traps. Always verify with trusted financial advisors before investing. Sextortion is another threat for senior citizens. Fraudsters trick victims into sharing private photos and then demand money to keep them from being leaked. One should never share personal or intimate information online.”
“Phishing scams are common too and the citizens should avoid clicking on suspicious links or sharing their OTPs. Banks and government agencies never ask for sensitive details over calls or messages. Senior citizens in India are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals using deceptive tactics. One should be vigilant against these common scams and report any suspicious activity to the Cyber Crime Helpline. Stay alert and protect yourself from cyber frauds,” the alert stated.
