Woman loses Rs 1 lakh to ‘Google Search Fraud’
Woman from Seemapuri region of East Delhi did not knew that a simple Google Search mistake could lead to a fraud that would cost her Rs 1 lakh. 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.
Here is everything you need to know about these kinds of fraud - 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. The woman called a phone number she found on a website after searching on Google assuming its the official customer care phone number. It turns out that the customer care phone number 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. Before realising anything fishy, the woman’s bank account got robbed of Rs 1 lakh.
This same fraud recently happened for EPFO Provident Fund. People called a wrong number and got scammed. In this scam, people calls on the number appearing on Google, thinking it to be that of a government official.
What is Google Search Fraud?
- Scamsters change the contact details with their phone number to trap people on Google Search. Believing that Google shows the correct contact number of banks, people call the scamster instead after searching on Google. The scamster in disguise of a bank employee asks for personal details from the caller to verify the call. Sometimes, scamster redirect to fake IVRs to make the call appear real. To get services on mobile, gullible users share card details, ATM PIN, and other details.
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