NOB- Bharat news: As part of the scam, fraudsters call the victim from a number. Or contacted through social media platforms like WhatsApp. They claim to be officers from various enforcement agencies. And tell them that a parcel has arrived in the victim’s name, containing drugs, fake passports and other things. Even if the victim says that he has nothing to do with them, they will not listen. Sometimes they say that the victim’s relative is in their custody and make the victim panic. Video calls are made by being set up to look like police stations and government offices. After seeing them, the victim is likely to believe that it is all true.
Demand for money
After making the victim to fear, they demand money. They ask for money in order to drop the case. Otherwise they are threatened with heavy punishments and going to jail. They asked to invest money in international fund transfer, gold, cryptocurrency, ATM etc., In this system, some victims are also subjected to digital arrest. That means the victim has to be on a video call with the scammers until the payments are made.
Government actions
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) and Department of Telecom (DoT) have joined forces to prevent spoof calls from outside the country in the wake of increasing parcel scams. Fraudsters impersonate officials from Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other law enforcement agencies. In this context, the government sought Microsoft’s help to prevent misuse of I4C’s official logos. The government has asked the citizens to be alert in the case of parcel scam. If we recognize such calls, WhatsApp messages and URLs, we are asked to file a complaint on the cybercrime website.
Take care
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a statement urging citizens to be vigilant to avoid falling prey to scams. For this, some precautions have been taken. We need to verify the calls we receive. Don’t worry unnecessarily. Even if money is demanded, our personal and past details should not be told. Report any suspicious calls or WhatsApp messages to the Cybercrime website immediately. Soon the authorities will track those fraudulent activities. Avoid sharing personal information. Personal and financial details should not be shared over the phone. New scams are happening in many forms. As long as one is alert, no harm will be done. In case of such calls inform the police immediately.
