Harshit Singh
One of the nations that adopts technology the quickest is India. Millions of consumers have joined digital services like UPI, WhatsApp, and others because to the availability of inexpensive smartphones and data subscriptions.
Sadly, hackers also perceive this as a chance, which has led to an increase in cybercrime over the past few years. Criminals have been stealing identities on social media sites like Facebook and WhatsApp, then exploiting those identities to demand money from the victim’s friends and relatives.
A social media awareness campaign has been launched by the cyber unit of the Kolkata Police to inform and safeguard citizens from potential internet scams. The authorities believe that con artists took advantage of the popularity of World Yoga Day 2023 and targeted people by offering them a free link to join an online yoga session. Unaware users will be prompted to share a six-digit OTP when they click the link. Once the user’s WhatsApp account has been shared, scammers can access it remotely and use it to impersonate the user and demand money from friends and relatives while claiming there is an emergency.
Some thieves go one step further and coerce their victims into investing in a bonus cryptocurrency, which will later be withdrawn, wiping out any digital evidence of the fraud.
After several of these incidents came to light, Kolkata Cyber police are now advising users to exercise caution whenever they receive messages that contain links and to report any suspicious messages to WhatsApp.
How to protect yourself against WhatsApp frauds
Always be on the lookout and never click on an external link you get by SMS or WhatsApp unless you are certain. If someone from your contact list asks for money, double check to be sure they are really your friend or relative before sending the money. Calling them on video or voice is the most effective way to do this.
Never send someone a message containing private information, such as an OTP. On all social networking sites, make sure two-factor authentication is enabled. Last but not least, report any suspicious messages to WhatsApp or the moderators of the relevant platform.
