Hyderabad: The Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau has warned citizens against a rise in fraudulent activities wherein people are being victimised with promises of rewards through lucky draw schemes. Nearly 15 such cases were registered in Telangana in January alone, of which, majority are in the city.
In a recent case that has come to light, a woman who bought a saree online got a WhatsApp message 15 days later informing her that she has won a car in a lucky draw. She later found that she had been duped and lodged a complaint.
According to investigators, fraudsters are extorting lakhs of rupees through phony lucky draw schemes and scratch cards. The fraudsters convince unsuspecting individuals of winning lucky draws promising cash, car and vacations in foreign countries. The victim is asked to share personal data like bank card details or other information or scan some QR code sent on WhatsApp to claim their reward. As soon as the information is provided, the victim ends up losing money, officials said.
Sometimes, when a victim says that he is not interested in the car then an equivalent amount of cash is offered to him. Even fake letters are directly sent to the victim's home address, officials said.
An official of the Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau asked people to beware of calls and messages informing them of phony lucky draw prizes. The first step to prevent getting trapped is to be vigilant, said the official adding, "One should always exercise caution and report the crime by registering a complaint at the cybercrime cell."
Officials said that reputed e-commerce companies never send OTPs or scratch cards or unknown gift offers. "Don't click any link that is sent to you for claiming an award. If someone asks for a token amount to claim any award then it should be identified as a fraud. Shop only on official websites and don't be fooled by links and offers posted on social media platforms," an official said.
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