With the festive spirit of Diwali upon us, the Hyderabad City Police Cyber Crime Unit is issuing a critical warning: be extra vigilant against a wave of online scams. Criminals are actively preying on enthusiastic shoppers by creating elaborate fake websites, sending deceptive phishing links, and crafting fraudulent advertisements that promise irresistible discounts on popular gadgets and gifts. Don’t let your excitement for deals turn into a financial nightmare this holiday season.
Authorities report that these cybercriminals employ sophisticated deception tactics. They often set up convincing yet bogus e-commerce portals, distribute dangerous malicious APK (Android Package Kit) files, and run misleading advertisements across social media platforms. Their ultimate goal is to lure unsuspecting individuals into divulging their personal and banking information. Tragically, many have already faced substantial financial losses after falling victim to these cunning digital ploys.
A prevalent scam involves criminals sending alluring links via popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram. These messages often promise incredible festival discounts or exclusive rewards. However, clicking on these links or downloading the attached malicious APK files can lead to malware secretly installing itself on your phone. This grants fraudsters unauthorized access to your sensitive data, including banking credentials, One-Time Passwords (OTPs), and any other personal information stored on your device.
Another common trick sees scammers sending congratulatory messages, informing recipients they’ve “won a Diwali gift” or an “exclusive festive reward.” To claim this supposed prize, victims are then asked to pay a small “processing fee” or “GST.” Those who fall for this tactic and make these payments frequently discover they’ve lost significant sums of money, with no prize ever materializing.
Illustrating these dangers, a 29-year-old woman from Secunderabad recently became a victim, losing a staggering ₹1,40,000. She was targeted by fraudsters impersonating executives from an online shopping site called Fashor. Leveraging her past purchase history, the scammer convinced her she qualified for a special Diwali gift: an iPhone 13. The woman was then manipulated into making several payments for supposed dispatch and tax charges, but the promised smartphone never reached her.
Similarly, an elderly 69-year-old resident of Azampura suffered a loss of ₹1,02,194. This incident occurred after he dialed a fraudulent Blinkit customer care number, which he mistakenly found through a Google search. The criminals then sent him a malicious APK link via WhatsApp and instructed him to install it. Upon installation, they seized remote access to his and his family’s phones, subsequently emptying funds from their bank accounts.
Police emphasize that many citizens fall victim to these scams due to a combination of factors: trusting overly attractive online advertisements, downloading unverified applications, making upfront payments to unknown online sellers, or carelessly sharing sensitive financial information without proper verification of the recipient’s legitimacy.
To safeguard against these threats, authorities strongly advise citizens to follow crucial precautions. Always avoid installing applications from unknown or untrusted sources. Thoroughly verify the legitimacy of any shopping website before initiating payments. Crucially, resist the urge to click on suspicious links or respond to unsolicited messages promising extravagant gifts or rewards. Furthermore, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for all your banking and e-commerce accounts adds a vital extra layer of security, making it much harder for fraudsters to gain access.
Should you unfortunately become a victim of cyber fraud, the police urge you to act immediately. Contact the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 without delay, or file a complaint directly on their official website (www.cybercrime.gov.in). Prompt reporting significantly boosts the chances of freezing fraudulent transactions and substantially minimizing your financial losses.
Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar reiterated the importance of vigilance, advising citizens to exercise extreme caution when engaging in online shopping during the festive season. He stressed the need to remain wary of any offer that seems “too good to be true,” as such deals are often a hallmark of elaborate scams.