Edited by Dr Prateep Philip, former Director General of Police TN, Natchi Lazarus Digital Media Management Trainer, John Ravindran Senior Charted Accountant, Samson Luke MBA, Daniel Sudhakar B.E., Dr Ebe Sunder Raj
Last year there were 15,56,218 cyber-crimes reported in India, amounting to thousands of crores of rupees. You can become the next victim by ignorance. Here is how.
There is a phone call or WhatsApp call to you. The caller says he is a very senior Officer from the Crime Brach of CBI or ED or RBI or TRAI or some Govt Dept. He says that he is investigating some serious cases against you because many financial and other crimes are being done with your identity. Or the caller says that he is a senior Customs or Narcotics Officer and that some illegal banned material has arrived on your name. They are investigating to punish you.
You reply that you are an honest person and that your bank account and operations are open and accessible directly for RBI or CBI or ED or Customs. “Why do you want to ask me these details.”
“Not only this account. There are many other black accounts and crimes done with your identity” he says.
“Send me those details tomorrow by email. I will study them and answer your questions” you say.
“They are being investigated confidentially by our National Office. Therefore we cannot give you those details.”
“I am busy with my work / family work. Call me tomorrow” you say.
“This is very urgent. Our Head Office wants to close the investigation on you today. My senior officers are also watching us and recording our conversation. Therefore, take this very seriously” he says.
“I am alone now. I will consult my office / family and respond.”
“We need to investigate you only when you are alone. Do not talk to anyone. Close your room. Obey my order now.”
“What you want me to do” you ask him.
“We need to verify if your operations and the money in your bank are clean or black. Therefore, you need to send now that money to RBI / CBI / ED for verification. That money will be returned to you within 60 minutes to your bank account’’ he says.
Or he says “Send now Rs …………as penalty for the Customs. With that we will close the criminal case on you.”
Now some ‘Official Order’ on the fake letter head of RBI / CBI / ED / Customs appears on your WhatsApp video. Also, fake videos of Officers in Police Uniform with wall size Government Logo appear. Their designations and ranks are given. The Order asks you to send the money immediately.
The caller says “Read the official Order letter I sent you now by WhatsApp on the RBI / CBI / ED / Customs letter head. I also sent you now the pictures and designations of the four / five superior officers who are investigating your case along with me. Send the money immediately. Till then do not switch off your phone.’’
“To which account / name I must send the money?” you ask.
Some fake personal name or phone number appears on your WhatsApp.
“That cannot be the official bank account of RBI / CBI / ED / TRAI / Customs?” you object.
“That is the name / number of the Investigating Officer of RBI / CBI / ED / Customs, of your case” he says.
“I am very scared; it looks very strange” you say.
“Because you are part of the criminal gang.” he says.
“I beg you, please excuse me” you say.
“We will arrest you now” he says.
Out of terrible fear about arrest and in mental turmoil you send your money by G Pay / Paytm / etc. The whole talk and fraud are done within one hour or much longer. You wait for hours to see if the money returns. It never returns.
Nor any receipt from the Customs / Narcotics Office comes for the ‘penalty’ if you had paid any amount. Then only you realise the fraud and inform your office / family. Afterwards you make a police complaint. All that is too late.
WHAT ARE THE RIGHT IMMEDIATE STEPS
Never entertain a phone call from a stranger for more than a few seconds.
If you think he talks something essential for your need, ask him to send it by official email / letter.
If repeated calls are coming in, block that number. Run it through True Caller to check the caller’s validity.
Do not respond to call / letter, which says that you got a huge Prize / Lottery / Award and asks you to send him only the GST tax in order to receive the huge amount directly into your bank account.
Do not respond to call / offer letter from stranger asking for prepayment for a big job in India or abroad. Verify.
Beware of fake letters / WhatsApp / emails which appear official. Check for phishing, like slight grammatical change in name, unusual URL etc. Never click on the LINK given by strangers. Call your tech person and verify.
If any stranger demands immediate response, he is a criminal. He may fake like a very high Government officer.
Never talk to a stranger all alone. Have with you, your office staff or adult family member or neighbour. If you talk to him as a group boldly or mention to him the Cyber Crime Police Ph 1930, he will stop his call immediately.
The Cyber Crime Phone no: 1930. Website: https://cybercrime.gov.in/ You can report the crime / suspicion on this website. They start immediately tracking the criminal if you inform them at once. Do not delay even by minutes if you suspect a criminal is online. This will help them to halt your money on its very fast track into the criminals’ accounts.
Do not give to anyone any bank details or personal details like Adhaar, PAN, UPI, PIN, Passwords etc.
While at ATM booth do not allow anyone inside the booth. If any problem at ATM, call the bank, not strangers in.
Credit Freeze: Arrange with your Bank upper limit that you can withdraw only Rs 5,000 or 10,000 per day. This will eliminate the possibility of any criminal hacking big into your account or yourself remitting big amount out of threat by cyber criminals. You can also add Multi Factor Authentication to your bank account. Ask your bank.
If you have a larger amount, keep it separately in Fixed Deposit in the same bank or in another bank.
Change all your passwords, PIN etc every six months. Keep backup of your computer data and mobile data.
Keep your Local Police Station number and Cyber Crime number 1930 always with you.
If you are aged above 70 it is wise to handover all financial transactions to a trusted younger person in your personal office or family, because the elders are ignorant of today’s technology and can fall a prey. Also, they are very susceptible to threat by criminals. Have a professional on call as advisor for periodic update.
Elders, do not respond to calls by fake middlemen posing as new official Agents for your Insurance or Pension. Deal directly with the concerned main office.
Be wary of suspicious Links and Messages on Social Media. Avoid clicking LINKS on social media DM or Messages inside Inbox of Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Always hover over links to see where they lead to, before clicking. Phishing attacks often imitate legitimate sources, by slight variations in the URL (example: "g00gle.com" instead of “google.com”.)
The more personal information / pictures you share on social media, the more vulnerable you become to blackmail, sextortion, gaming apps, illegal lending apps etc.
Fake E-commerce Websites: Check the validity of online shops before ordering a huge prepaid purchase. Fake websites offer very high discounts, but they either deliver counterfeit products or nothing at all. Ask your Techie.
Investment Scams: Be cautious of exceptionally high investment returns offers, especially those involving cryptocurrency. Stick to regulated investment platforms. Consult your financial advisor before acting.
Fake Charity Solicitors: Scammers exploit emotions by creating fake charity appeals, especially during disasters or crises or medical need. Before donating, check the Charity through verified platforms like Charity Navigator to ensure your contribution is going to a trustworthy service team / patient.
Mobile Payment Scams: Fraudsters can target mobile payment apps like PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App, either by posing as customer service provider or sending fake payment requests. Use two-factor authentication. Never send payments to unknown unverified persons.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi networks are often unsecured, making it easy for cyber criminals to intercept data like passwords or personal information. If you need to access social media over public Wi-Fi, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection.
Avoid using the same password to all your bank accounts as this puts all your accounts at risk if one is compromised.
Criminals can duplicate your SIM card and enter your bank account. If your SIM card stopped working contact immediately your bank.
Cyber criminals always fake a very high official authority, top urgency and create fear and terror. Never talk to him alone. Talk as two or three persons. Talk boldly. Cut short the phone call. Block that number.
No Government Department like RBI, CBI, ED, TRAI, Customs etc communicate any violation / penalty through phone or WhatsApp or social media. They always send printed letters by registered post or e mails on verifiable official letter heads. They give adequate days for you to respond.
None of RBI, CBI, ED, Customs etc have power to arrest you without the permission of your Local Police Station. If anyone threatens by phone / e mail that he will arrest you, immediately inform his phone number / email to the Cyber Crime Ph 1930 and your Local Police Station. They will arrest him.
Disclaimer: The material herein is intended only for public welfare and not to be taken as legal advice. Consult your professionals for final advice.