A woman in Ahmedabad became a victim of online fraud for a refund of ₹24. After calling the fake customer care number found on Google, the scammers sent the link and withdrew ₹87,000 from his account. Always use the official app for support.
Ahmedabad: In recent times, many cases of cyber fraud have been reported across the country. Now, a new fraud case has come to light from Ahmedabad. A woman became a victim of fraud while trying to get a refund for the vegetables she ordered from Quick Commerce. This is a shocking incident in which a woman lost around Rs 87,000 while trying to get back Rs 24.
This is how I lost Rs 87,000 while trying to get a refund of Rs 24.
The woman had ordered brinjals worth Rs 24 from quick commerce platform Zepto. He had asked for thin brinjals, but the packet given by the delivery boy had big brinjals. Seeing this the woman tried to return them and complain for a refund. He asked the delivery agent to take back the vegetables and give a refund of Rs 24. But the agent asked them to contact customer care through the app. When the woman did not immediately get the official customer care number, she searched Zepto’s helpline on Google.
Fake Google listing set a trap
Searching online, the woman found a phone number listed as Zepto customer support and called it. This number was created by cyber criminals to present themselves as the company’s helpline. When he called that number, a person identified himself as a customer support executive and spoke to him. He assured that the refund will be processed immediately. He then sent a link to the woman’s phone saying it was an official refund confirmation page to complete the refund process. He asked the woman to open this link and submit her bank information to get the refund. As soon as the woman did so, a total of Rs 87,000 was withdrawn from her bank account in two instalments. When he realized that he had been cheated, he lodged a complaint at the nearest police station. The local police is now investigating the matter.
How to avoid such scams?
The most important thing now is what you can do to avoid becoming a victim of this type of fraud. First of all, the helpline or customer care of any company never asks you for your personal information like account number, OTP, password or PIN. Remember that if someone asks for these details over a call, it is definitely a scam. Here are some important precautions to avoid such frauds:
Do not search customer care number on Google:
Never search customer care number on Google. Instead, visit the support section of the official website or app of the bank, e-commerce platform or quick-commerce company and contact them using the number or email address provided there.
Returns and refunds are processed through the app:
If you order an item through an app and want to return it, you can return it in the app itself and get a refund directly. For this you do not need to contact any external number. Once the return is completed, the refund will be automatically credited to your bank account or e-wallet. You can see its status in the app.
What to do if you become a victim of this type of cyber fraud?
If you become a victim of this type of cyber fraud, call your bank’s helpline as soon as possible to get your account blocked. Also, file a dispute for the transaction. You can also lodge a complaint by calling the 24×7 National Cyber Helpline 1930. The sooner you do this, the better your chances of stopping a fraudulent transaction.
Notify Cyber Police:
You can lodge a complaint online on the website www.cybercrime.gov.in. It is also important to lodge a written FIR in the cyber branch of your nearest police station.