FAKE CUSTOMER CARE SCAM

How crime happens?

Now a days, for our every need whether it is for office, home, or entertainment and anything we depend on internet and browse.

In this process, to get services of any service providers, like banks, travel agencies, online shopping sites, even food delivery apps and any other companies, we often search for phone numbers online. Companies usually list their contact information on their websites, which are easy to find through search engines.

Taking this as an advantage, the fraudsters create fake customer care numbers disguised as legitimate customer care number of reputed companies, institutions, banks etc.

How they can people in this fraud?

First of all, the fraudsters start advertising their fake customer care numbers representing reputed brands as mentioned above through search engine manipulations, fake SMS, phishing emails and sometimes, directly calls victims.
After posting their fake customer care numbers with malicious software, whenever, a customer calls these numbers thinking as genuine company numbers, the fraudsters pick calls and build up rapport with the victims as if he is representing the genuine company. Then, fraudster sends a malicious link i.e. APK and asks the customer to fill the information.
Then, he creates a sense of urgency in the minds of victims and start applying social engineering to trick the victims to divulge their personal information like account numbers, passwords, or one-time security codes. Once they receive this financial information, they siphon off money in minutes.
You can see the following video by the RBI on customer care fraud

https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/English/Scripts/CyberSecurity_Video.aspx

Some of the tricks they use are as following

Attention, valued customer, your credit card is at risk of being blocked unless you provide the last 4 digits of your card number immediately!"
Usually, whenever a customer of yet to receive a parcel, or yet to get delivered of goods, or to receive any debit or credit card, he search for specific company and duped by the fraudsters as they created fake customer care numbers to almost all reputed banks, companies etc.
Since the scammers manipulate the search engine optimization process and ensure that their fake websites pop up when a customer search for a company, and also these fake websites almost look like the genuine websites, one must double check the veracity of these websites.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN TO PREVENT THIS CRIME

Transact on ‘https’ websites only, and look for the secure padlock in the ‘Address’ bar.
Install an anti-virus software and update it regularly.
Do not open any attachments from unknown sources or click on suspicious links.
Never click on links from unknown addresses and look for grammar/ spelling mistakes in website links.
Change passwords regularly.
Log out from internet banking and phone banking apps when transaction is completed.
Never reply to emails, SMS or calls asking for your bank and/ or details, password/ PIN/ CVV/ OTP, even if the person claims to be a bank employee.