RAMANATHAPURAM: The police have appealed to the public to be cautious while dealing with unverified phone calls after a woman lost Rs 88,000 in an online phishing scam in Ramanathapuram. Sources said M Mary Janifar (35) of Rameswaram had purchased some products through Meesho, an online shopping app.
She was then contacted by a person who introduced herself as Nanthini, a representative of Meesho, and told that Mary had won a Mahindra XUV 700 worth Rs 12,80,000 in a lucky draw. To avail of the prize, she was asked to pay 1% of the transaction fees and submit her documents, including an Aadhaar card. When Mary did not receive the promised prize despite her sending Rs 88,400 to several account numbers as requested by the representative, she grew suspicious and filed a complaint with the Ramanathapuram cyber crime police. Further investigation is underway.
Recalling a similar incident, wherein a youth got scammed of Rs 79,000 in the district in August, the police sources said over 60 phishing and vishing cases were filed in the district this year.
"Lack of awareness is the major reason for the increasing number of cyber crimes. We advise you to avoid suspicious URLs that are sent as messages from unknown sources. People should not disclose their banking details to unknown people who approach them through phone calls and messages. If at all you fall prey to online scammers, we advise you to file a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in/) or through cybercrime emergency helpline no. 1930 or 155260 as soon as possible. It is crucial to report a cyber crime case at the earliest in order to track the miscreants and recover the stolen property," the police added.