How fraudsters cheat people in disguise of IT official?

Many cases of fraud have come to light where fraudsters have called people in the name of the Income Tax Department. Citizens are told that their income tax refunds would not be made. They are asked to click on the link sent in a seperate message.

Such calls are also being made in the name of TRAI also. The call begins with a threat to disconnect your number. It is claimed that unknown people have sent wrong messages from your phone number. They have used their Aadhaar number to obtain multiple SIM cards for illegal activities. If the customer doesn’t want his number to be disconnected, then , he has to pay penalty, and people end up falling victim to such scams. Telecom regulator TRAI has said the organisation does not make such calls. If someone receives threatening calls, they must contact service provider or the telecom company.

How do cybercriminals target people?

According to Cyber Crime Investigation Expert Kamakshi Sharma, cybercriminals can easily access your Google search history, they monitor your social media activity, and steal personal data. This information is not secure and is shared with third parties. Cybercriminals can use the data to tailor scams based on your searches and preferences made on social media platforms.

To avoid such calls in which claim is made to collect money on behalf of different regulators, always cross-check. Legitimate regulators or government agencies don’t send such messages. If you receive a challan message, verify its authenticity by checking it on echallan.parivahan.gov.in, use the challan number or vehicle number to verify its authenticity.

If you receive any messages regarding discrepancies in your ITR, and someone asks for money to fix the issue, before making any payment, visit the Income Tax Department’s website. The address of the website is www.incometax.gov.in. Log in to your account with your user ID and password. Verify it. Keep your return and refund details updated on the website. If you receive threatening calls to close a number, do not trust the caller, contact your telecom service provider’s customer care. Gather relevant information. Cybercriminals have become very active, you should become vigilant so that you are able to safeguard your hard-earned money