by Prof. Bhushan Manchanda
A large number of Indians especially senior citizens succumb to several types of internet frauds on a regular basis. Let’s have a quick look at the various types of online frauds in India.
Some common Online Frauds and Scams are: Scamming by way of “Electricity Bill not paid”; Fraud promising home delivery of liquor after payment made online by customer Frauds in online banking/Insurance; Online Shopping Fraud Social Media/Charity frauds; Frauds by providing technical support; Scamming by offering jobs Mobile wallet or E-wallet fraud Online Dating & Chatting Frauds; Fraud by providing Technical support Identity frauds; Debt Collection scams
How to avoid these Online Scams: Now you know how online frauds are spreading like wildfire. But don’t be afraid. To keep yourself safe, maintain the following tips:
• Block unwanted calls and text messages.
• Don’t give your personal or financial information like your PAN No., Aadhaar No., Bank account, or Debit or Credit Card numbers in response to a request that you didn’t expect.
• If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.
• Resist the pressure to act immediately. Legitimate businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.
• Always look out whether your computers or mobiles are updated or not. Keep the latest security software, operating system, and web browser as these can protect your devices from malware, viruses, and other online threats. If the possible, switch on the automatic updates to get the newest versions of these.
• Always avoid opening any unsolicited messages or emails and do not attend to unknown callers. Don’t open any link provided through an e-mail or message.
