Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 12 February 2024
A concerning trend in financial cyber fraud has recently surfaced, with fraudsters employing a deceptive tactic involving the use of images of senior government officials as profile Display Pictures (DP) on WhatsApp. These perpetrators are exploiting this method to coax unsuspecting individuals into purchasing and sending gift cards from popular e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart etc.
Gift cards, also known as gift vouchers, are prepaid stored-value cards issued by retailers for use as an alternative to cash during purchases.
The Andaman and Nicobar Police have responded to this emerging threat by issuing a comprehensive advisory aimed at safeguarding individuals from falling victim to such fraudulent schemes.
Outlined below are the key points of the advisory:
1. Verification of Unknown WhatsApp Messages: Individuals are urged to exercise caution when receiving messages from unfamiliar WhatsApp accounts. They should verify the authenticity of the sender’s mobile number by cross-referencing it with previously known contacts or through mutual acquaintances.
2. Confirmation of Financial Requests: If any request involving financial transactions is received purportedly from a senior official, individuals are advised to directly contact the concerned official to verify the legitimacy of the request.
3. Scrutinise Urgent Requests: Fraudulent messages often exhibit an urgent tone to pressure recipients into immediate action. Individuals are advised to scrutinise any requests that appear overly urgent.
4. Avoidance of Unknown Messages: To mitigate the risk of falling victim to cyber fraud, individuals should refrain from responding to messages from unknown senders on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
5. Exercise Caution while Sharing Photos Online: Individuals are encouraged to exercise discretion when sharing personal photos or videos online. Privacy filters should be utilised to safeguard against the misuse of such content for the creation of fake accounts on messaging platforms.
For those seeking further assistance, information, or inquiries related to cybercrime, the following contact points are provided:
Cyber Crime Police Station, A & N Islands, accessible via the National Helpline No. 1930 and A & N Police Helpline No. 9531856083.
Additional resources can be found on the official website cybercrime.gov.in.