Beware of Fake Messages Going Viral in the Name of Diwali, Bank Account Can Be Emptied

During the Diwali festival, cyber fraudsters have become active and are taking the help of social media to steal people's banking details. According to a report by Aaj Tak, various types of suspicious links are being sent on WhatsApp and other social media platforms in the name of Diwali gifts, cashback, and government assistance. The main objective of these links is to obtain personal information and banking details of ordinary citizens and misappropriate money from their accounts. Keeping this danger in mind, the police and various government agencies have urged citizens to remain vigilant.

In one of the main methods adopted by cyber fraudsters, a claim is made to give a Diwali gift of 8,000 rupees in the name of the Prime Minister. The Pimpri-Chinchwad cyber police of Pune has issued a special warning regarding this. A link is provided in this message and it is claimed that this amount will be received upon registration. In reality, this is a completely forged message. Fraudsters demand sensitive information such as Aadhaar card, PAN card, and bank account from people through this link. In some cases, money is also extorted from people in the name of registration or processing fees. The authenticity of any such government scheme should be verified only on the official government website.

On the other hand, cases of fraud in the name of digital payment companies have also come to light. The Hyderabad police have termed messages coming in the name of 1,000 rupees cashback or gifts as fake. Fraudsters create fake websites using the logos and names of well-known companies, which look just like the real ones. When a person clicks on this link, they are forced to enter the UPI PIN on the pretext of receiving payment. It should be remembered that the UPI PIN is never required to receive any kind of cashback or gift. Confirmation of any offer should always be made on the official app or website of the concerned company.

On the occasion of Diwali, there is a trend of sharing digital greeting cards and videos to wish friends and relatives. Cybercriminals also take advantage of this habit. Clicking on a greeting card link coming from an unknown number can prove dangerous. Often this message may also come from an account of an acquaintance whose account has been hacked. Opening such links redirects the user to a fake website or forces them to download a suspicious app. These types of attacks can also be used to take control of a WhatsApp account.

In this regard, CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) had earlier warned about the 'GhostPairing' campaign. In this method, unauthorized access is gained to the user's account by misusing WhatsApp's device linking feature. Therefore, it is extremely essential to exercise caution before clicking on any unknown link. If a link is clicked by mistake, immediately remove suspicious apps from your phone and change your banking passwords.

Cyber security is a vast field that works to protect computer systems, networks, and data from digital attacks. At the present time when most financial transactions are becoming online, cybercriminals are constantly finding new methods. Government agencies and cyber police departments continuously run campaigns to make people aware so that citizens can protect their digital assets. With the increasing use of technology, cyber literacy has become the biggest necessity of today's era.