‘Think before you click to avoid online fraud’

EXPERT ADVICE

‘Think before you click to avoid online fraud’

Shikha Goel, additional commissioner of police, Crimes & SIT, Hyderabad, answers queries from TOI readers on red flags to watch out for during online transactions, common cyber crimes and what people can do in case they are defrauded

30.06.2021 

n Following an advertisement to rent my apartment, I was approached by a man who claimed to be an Army personnel and said he’d transfer the deposit – of Rs 26,000 – once I scan a QR code. Instead of receiving any money, the person withdrew ₹25,000 from my account. I have complained with my bank and cyber crime cell. Should I raise the issue with any other authority. Also, is scanning QR codes not advisable? —Dheerender Ambati

This is a classic QR code scam. It takes advantage of the victim’s lack of knowledge of how the UPI systems of payments and receipts works. It also exploits the gullible person’s trust.

One may need to scan a QR code only when payment is to be made to someone else. To receive money, the other person (payee) must scan your QR code or directly use your UPI address. When you scanned the fraudster’s QR code, your screen would have clearly indicated: “Proceed to pay,”

rather than ‘’Accept Payment”. However, because victims trust the fraudster, they do not pay adequate attention to what is notified on their own screens and such losses are incurred.

The rapid digitalisation, while making processes convenient in many ways, has also increased the risks of online transactions. What measures must people take to protect themselves from frauds? Also, are cyber crime sleuths taking any measures to create awareness among people? —P R Vittal Rao

You are right in terms of overall increased vulnerability to cyber crime, owing to exponential increase in online transactions. However, cheating, impersonation are age-old crimes. Now, these have infested the internet-connected virtual world as well. Most crimes occur because of either of the following or a combination of the same: Lack of adequate information/ sensitivity on part of victim: There are a large number of first-time users of technology currently in India. While the apps and wallets are quite easy to use and have inbuilt security measures, we must be very careful of how we use them. Sufficient training on how the technology really works will go a long way in reducing instances of such crime. Paying close attention while transacting online is also critical.

Plain old greed: Thousands of victims fall for the ruse of a jackpot or a quick financial gain. We should remember that if some proposition offered by an unknown party on the internet seems too good to be true, it is probably a con job. Do not fall for it.

Shame/fear of loss of reputation: We have seen in matrimonial frauds, WhatsApp video-based sex chat frauds etc., that the fear of loss of reputation leads the victims to fall for blackmail and extortion.

I request all citizens to step up without fear and notify authorities. In such matters, adequate confidentiality is maintained by police.

After lodging a cyber complaint, how often is a victim successful in recovering his/her money? —Anirudh Iyengar

In case of online financial frauds, it only takes a fraction of a second to incur huge losses. Add to that, fraudsters divert their ill-gotten funds within minutes into multiple bank accounts spread all over the country and sometimes abroad. Most times, they withdraw the entire amount immediately leaving limited or no money trail. In such scenarios, it is a Herculean task to catch the suspect. Even when they are caught, the chance of recovering the defrauded amount is minimal.

I frequently receive SMSs/ emails saying that huge amounts of lottery or leftover assets are available. The sender asks for all sorts of details. Are all these frauds? Should we report them? If yes, what’s the procedure? —A S R Sarma

The maxim that there are no free lunches stands true in such cases. One should not believe such messages.

THE REPORTING OPTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

When received through SMS, the consumer can register his/ her preference(s) in NCPR by dialing 1909 or by sending SMS to 1909. You can also register using the TRAI DND 2.0 mobile app.

After registering, in case any subscriber receives unsolicited commercial communication after expiry of seven days from the date of his registration in NCPR/DND, he/she may lodge a complaint with the service provider through voice call or SMS to toll free short code 1909 or through DND App within 3 days of receipt of such UCC.

If you receive such potential spam messages on WhatsApp, you can check for reporting options here: https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-andprivacy/staying-safe-onwhatsapp/?lang=en l If you have received an email, especially one that looks like from your bank, all banks have notified phishing reporting email ids where you can send details. You should also block the message in your email tool.

In addition, you can report to the jurisdictional cyber crime police station.

How safe is it to share mobile numbers while transacting with people online? And does it help to block the number later, if it raises any suspicion? —Sunitha Reddy

There is no danger in sharing your mobile number but doing so with unknown persons may pose unforeseen risks in future. So, it is always advisable to err on the side of caution and refrain from sharing your personal mobile number with strangers. Several apps, including some stock apps in leading brands of mobile phones now provide the ability to block a number. You may choose to block a number once you are sure that the caller is pesky or makes you uncomfortable or suspicious in any manner.

I was recently trying to sell used furniture online and realised 9 out of 10 people approaching me were fraud. As soon as I mentioned ‘cash payment’ they withdrew their interest. Is that a sign of a fraudster? Also, is it safe to agree for payment through to GPay or PayTm? —S S Murthy

While we cannot substantiate the percentage, we do agree that a significant number of buyer ids on such websites may belong to potential fraudsters. There are safety guidelines available within the portals themselves which may be closely followed. There is a significantly higher risk of falling prey to cyber crime when the person on the other side insists on only digital payment. However, please understand that you cannot lose money when using a payment tool if you are paying sufficient attention and know how the digital payment networks work.

Now-a-days there are a zillion online trading sites selling everything from clothes to household items to electronic appliances. Many of them are very lucrative as they have great offers. How does one ascertain if an e-commerce platform is genuine or not? —Prakash Kishore

It is difficult to ascertain the genuineness of an e-commerce site. You are already aware of leading e- commerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart etc. It is relatively safer to purchase things from such sites owing to their internal policies and support mechanisms against fraud. The safest way to explore new options is through word-of-mouth reference from friends and well-wishers.

Have heard about friends who were defrauded when they clicked on a link sent to them on email, supposedly from their bank seeking some details.

Though they did not furnish any information, just clicking on the link led them to losing money.

How does one save themselves from such high-tech frauds? — Kirthi Parekh

This is rare, but certainly very plausible. If the shared link, when clicked, enables downloading of a malware, then such programme can initiate action on your device without you being aware of it. It is a best practice not to click the links sent by strangers or from seemingly dubious ids. Even though the victim doesn’t knowingly reveal any confidential information, there is a chance that the device/system may get compromised when such links are clicked. Later criminals may take advantage of the same.