Fake SMSs related to unpaid Electricity Bill to dupe citizens

Threat Summary

As per the analysis of recent complaints reported on NCRP of I4C, a new trend in financial cyber fraud has been observed where fraudsters impersonate Indian army personnel to exploit the goodwill associated with the armed forces to siphon off money from innocent victims who have advertised to put their property (House, Flat, Rooms, etc. on rent) on the popular house renting websites/apps, real estate database website or social media websites, etc.

Suggestions

1. Always remember that entering OTP is a requirement for sending money, not for receiving it.

2. If an unknown person makes contact for renting your house, flat, or rooms, etc., try to confirm his/her identity from other available methods/sources.

3. Fraudsters typically show urgency in their requests. Scrutinize, if a request seems too urgent.

4. Avoid relying on conversations and identity details provided by unknown people on messaging apps, house renting platforms, etc.

5. Captiously perform transactions on various online transaction platforms, aware yourself with all the features a payment gateway.

6. Report any such incidents on the cybercrime.gov.in portal and follow @CyberDost on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Public, Koo and LinkedIn to know more about safety tips.