‘Google search fraud’: Woman loses Rs 1 lakh to fake customer care phone number
A woman from East Delhi’s Seemapuri region lost Rs 1 lakh after she fell for an ongoing ‘Google search fraud’. The woman, who works with a private firm, was having problems with her e-wallet account and started searching for the customer care number. She searched for the customer care phone number on Google to report about a wrong transaction in her e-wallet account. After searching for the number, she called a phone number she found on a website after searching on Google assuming its the official customer care phone number.
Little did she know that a simple Google search mistake could lead to a fraud that would cost her Rs 1 lakh. It turned out that the customer care phone number which she searched was of a fraudster who posed as a customer care representative of the e-wallet company. Assuming that it is the official customer care phone number, the woman provided her card details to get a refund from the e-wallet company.
This is not the first time such a scam has been revealed. A similar incident happened with EPFO Provident Fund. A scamster recently changed the contact details of an EPFO office in Mumbai on Google search. When people contacted on that mobile number, the scamster asked for personal details from the callers and duped several of them
Google allows users to edit contact details of shops/banks and other establishments on Google Maps and Google search to help better these services. However, this facility is now being misused by sme. Also, with fake websites getting ranked on Google, it is highly recommended that user visit the official website of a particular establishment to get contact information.
This is because scamsters have now found a new way to find potential victims through Google search. Interestingly, this is not a hack or vulnerability from Google’s end but a simple misuse of a service that Google made to help internet users. Maharashtra cyber police was among the first to alert citizens about the scam that has establishments like Bank of India and Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) worried.
This is because scamsters have now found a new way to find potential victims through Google search. Interestingly, this is not a hack or vulnerability from Google’s end but a simple misuse of a service that Google made to help internet users. Maharashtra cyber police was among the first to alert citizens about the scam that has establishments like Bank of India and Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) worried.
Related Posts
About The Author
