VIJAYAWADA: Post demonetisation of `500 and `1,000 currency notes, those resorting to cyber crime are adopting new technologies to loot money from gullible people. The miscreants are using online classified advertising platforms to attract and cheat people.According to police, when people do online shopping pseudo portals, often they end up getting fake goods. Most of the times, the consumers do not receive the products they had ordered for. A senior police officer divulged that offenders are choosing online platforms to sell stolen goods. If a product does not have any digital identification, it is highly difficult to trace out certain products. Several people, who are unaware about white collar frauds, reveal their confidential data such as debit and credit card details by entertaining phone calls from inter-state gangs. Police alerted citizens that banks will not ask customers for their confidential details over the telephone.
Besides the inter-state gang traps, Nigerian frauds also send phishing emails luring with big amounts. Customers are asked to log in to their accounts using the links provided in emails. If the customer logs in, the login credentials are sent to the offenders.
Nowadays, SMS from various e-commerce websites telling ‘You have `2,000 in your wallet’ are rampant. If anyone responds to these messages, they have to shell out a huge sum in order to claim the virtual money. In the case of One-Time-Password (OTP) frauds, the offenders contact random people asking for the OTPs that may have been generated as a result of any transaction made. Once the person reveals the OTP he has received, the offenders finish their work online.When an offence committed involves a small amount, it becomes a burden for the government as they have to incur more money than stolen amount for investigation. According to reports, many such crimes has its origin in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
When contacted, DCP Gajarao Bhupal admitted that cyber crime is on the rise. He said, “People should not reveal personal details such as Aadhaar numbers and OTPs to any incoming calls.”
He further added that the public is vulnerable to such calls as many of them don’t have knowledge about such frauds. Police authorities are requesting people to opt for cash on delivery option and hand over the cash after thorough verification of the goods. The city police have set up a temporary cyber crime wing with a Sub Inspector level officer in the premises of Commissioner of Police Office.