Alert: New ‘Rakhi’ scam exposed

Debit card and Credit card information could be stolen through fraudulent links

New Delhi – Raksha Bandhan is just 10 days away and a new type of scam related to ‘Rakhi’ has come to light. Cyber criminals are sending fake SMS messages in the name of ‘India Post’ or courier companies. It says, ”Your brother has sent us a gift; but we cannot deliver it to you due to incomplete address. Please go to the link below and fill in the details within 24 hours, otherwise the gift will be returned”; but if you click on the link, there is a risk of mobile phone getting hacked or SIM card getting blocked. The postal department clarified that we do not send such messages, and the cyber department has also asked the public to be careful of such scams.

This is how the scam takes place

Some people also receive mobile phone calls. The person on the other side claims to be an employee of ‘India Post’ or a courier company. People believe them and update their address. Call is then transferred to another line and people are asked to pay a ‘re-delivery charge’ of Rs 50 or Rs 100. Since the amount is small, people pay using their debit and credit cards and this is where all their card details go to cyber criminals.

How to avoid the scam

1. Be wary of unknown text messages or emails.

2. Do not open unknown links.

3. Do not fill in personal information or make payments while talking on a mobile phone.

4. Do not give sensitive information like ‘OTP’, ‘PIN’ to anyone.

5. In case of cyber fraud, contact 1930 immediately, and also file a complaint on the cyber crime website cybercrime.gov.in

We do not send any such messages : Postal Department

The postal department clarified that they do not send any such messages, and the cyber department has also asked the public to be wary of such scams.