Vodafone Idea issues new 'fraud warning': Details here
In the wake of rising internet scams, telecom giant Vodafone Idea has started issuing warning messages to alert its subscribers about potential frauds. According to a report in Times of India, the telco is sending out bulk messages, warning users to be wary of an ongoing 'lottery fraud'. The message comes as the second warning from the company in two consecutive weeks. Here's more.
First off, what is lottery fraud?
Lottery fraud is one of the most common techniques used by scammers to dupe unsuspecting customers. First, they call as representatives from a reputed organization and claim you have won a huge sum/costly product (like iPhone) in a lucky draw. Then, in exchange for the prize, they ask for a fee or product purchase in return and social engineer the target into paying money.
After that, they disappear with the money
Once the target agrees, the scammers redirect them to a website from where the money would be wired into their account, which is mostly offshore. Then, they disappear completely, leaving no room for the victim to do anything.
So, how to avoid these scams?
As lottery scams are common in India, you can come across a call like this any day, any time. However, to stay clear of such situations, it is recommended to ignore calls from unknown persons, especially ISD numbers. In its warning, Vodafone said, "Please do not respond to missed calls from unknown ISD numbers with prefix other than '+91' or calls/SMS about winning prizes/lottery".
Even if you answer the call, never transfer money
Even if, by any chance, you answer the call from a scammer, never transfer money or provide your bank account or card details. Keep this as a rule of thumb to avoid falling for this or any other financial fraud prevailing on the internet.
