By Hasan Hadi
Dehradun, 21 May: With the surge in cybercrime, fraudsters are adopting new methods to deceive the public. A recent scam involves the creation of fake bank accounts in the name of the armed forces, through which fraudsters collect money by appealing to people’s patriotism. Some posts related to this scam went viral on social media, prompting swift action by the police, who removed the content and launched an investigation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Cyber & STF, Uttarakhand Police), Ankush Mishra, stated that three major cyber fraud trends are currently on the rise in the state.
- Extortion via Fake Social Media Profiles
Fraudsters are using fake female profiles to initiate video calls on social media. During these calls, they capture inappropriate photos or videos of the victim. Later, they blackmail the victim, demanding money and threatening to leak the material if the demands are not met.
“Extortion is currently one of the most challenging cybercrimes we’re dealing with. Over the past three years, cases have increased significantly,” he said.
- Impersonation Scams
In these scams, fraudsters impersonate friends, relatives, or even bosses. They use real photos on display pictures (DP) and, using AI, can even mimic voices. They then request money from unsuspecting victims.
“People often don’t verify the sender’s identity. Before transferring money to anyone, always confirm their identity,” he advised.
- WhatsApp Hacking
WhatsApp hacking is another trending scam. Fraudsters trick users by pretending they’ve won a prize or jackpot and ask them to dial codes like 121# or 401#, which are call forwarding codes for telecom providers like Jio, Vodafone, and Airtel. Once activated, any verification call from WhatsApp gets forwarded to the fraudster, allowing them to hijack the account.
“To prevent WhatsApp hacks, go to settings and check the ‘Linked Devices’ section. If you find any suspicious device connected, remove it immediately and report it to cyber police,” said DSP Ankush Mishra.
The Cyber Police urges citizens to remain vigilant, verify before trusting any unknown request, and report any suspicious activity to the cybercrime helpline.
