An elderly resident of Mumbai was conned out of Rs 4.4 lakh in an internet fraud while attempting to purchase airline tickets to Dubai.
To Put It briefly,
The mumbai’s victim was duped into divulging her personal information by this.
They substituted their own phone number for the official one on the ticket-booking website.
Due to this, the victim had to divulge personal information, which allowed for unauthorized access to her bank account.
A senior gentleman trying to purchase airline tickets to Dubai was the victim of a fraudulent scheme in a recent internet scam event that occurred in Mumbai. As a result, the elderly citizen lost Rs. 4.4 lakh. The victim was attempting to make an online reservation for tickets through a well-known website when the con artists skillfully substituted their own phone number for the official one of the ticket booking platform, tricking gullible people looking to make bookings for flights.
The 64-year-old victim, Gita Shenoy, of Juhu, mumbai, reportedly fell for the scam when she used her phone to access the Skyscanner website and app to look up tickets online. The Indian Express reported on the incident.
Shenoy downloaded the app and gave the caller’s data to a smooth-talking scammer, thinking it was a genuine process. With the use of this remote-access program, the fraudster was able to take control of her device. The con artist encouraged the victim to provide a code they had acquired, which allowed them to gain unauthorized access to her phone, all while posing as help with the booking process. The scammer quickly stole Rs 4.4 lakh from her bank account by using this backdoor.
The victim promptly reported the incident to the Juhu police(mumbai) after realising that her bank account had illegal transactions worth Rs 4.4 lakh missing. The authorities quickly filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the suspected culprits after realizing the gravity of the situation.
They also clarified how fraudsters frequently use Google’s online mobile number-changing feature in these kinds of scams. Concerns over possible security flaws in the system that might be used to obtain unauthorized access to accounts have been further sparked by this particular example.
Remaining Secure
Here are some essential guidelines for avoiding these kinds of internet frauds:
1. False information: Scammers frequently attempt to get in touch with you via social media, phone calls, or emails. They might pose as respectable businesses or people in an effort to win your confidence. Any unsolicited contact should always be treated with caution, especially if it requests money or personal information.
2. Immediately confirm contact information: Spend some time confirming the veracity of any internet contact before replying. Go to the official corporate website or give them a call at a number you are certain is accurate. The contact information contained in the email or message itself should not be trusted, as it may be fraudulent.
3. Avoid downloading remote-access apps. Reputable businesses will never request that you download a remote-access app in order to fix a problem. It’s a scam if someone asks you to complete this task. Never lend out your phone or computer remotely to anyone.
4. Never divulge critical information to strangers: Never divulge personal information to someone you don’t know and trust, such as your bank account number, passwords, or Social Security number. It’s wise to err on the side of caution at all times, even if someone appears trustworthy.
5. Report suspicious activity: Notify the authorities and the platform where you came across the scam if you believe you have been the victim of one. By doing this, you’ll be able to prevent others from falling for the same con.