THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A cybersecurity student outsmarted a group of scammers who attempted to scam his father by posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday.
The scammers had contacted the father of Ashwaghosh Saindhav, 21, the student, claiming that a SIM card issued in his name was being used for cybercrimes. Claiming urgency, they instructed Ashwaghosh to appear at the Mumbai Cyber Cell office within two hours for recording his statement.
When he told them he could not travel to Mumbai, the scammers suggested a video call. During the call, people dressed in police uniforms appeared on screen and displayed fake ID cards. They also demanded that Ashwaghosh put his phone on silent and be alone in a room while communicating with them.
However, Ashwaghosh, who sensed the fraud early on, turned the tables on them, engaging with them for around 1.5 hours and cleverly mocking their claims with witty replies that left them embarrassed. He also recorded the video call for evidence. Realising they were being outsmarted, the scammers abandoned their attempt and disconnected the call.
He later lodged a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Cell and handed the recording as evidence. Police have initiated an investigation. Meanwhile, the Kerala Police shared the footage on their official social media handles and urged people to remain cautious of cyber frauds.