The central government has warned people about cyber fraud. The National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued an advisory in this regard. It said that cyber fraudsters are targeting people by using the names of the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the chief ministers of different states, as well as deepfake videos. The advisory urged people to exercise particular caution regarding calls and WhatsApp messages from numbers with Pakistan’s +92 country code. Do not share any information or send money without verifying the identity of people contacting you from such numbers and checking their claims. However, it cannot be determined solely from a number’s country code that the caller is a fraudster. Therefore, it is essential to verify the authenticity of any unfamiliar call, message, link or offer of financial assistance before trusting it. Fees demanded in the name of government schemes Fraudsters run fake advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, claiming to offer financial assistance under government schemes. Victims are then asked to pay taxes, processing fees and registration charges. Deepfake technology is used to create fake videos by altering a person’s face and voice. Scammers use these videos to persuade people that the bogus schemes are genuine. Cashback and UPI cons Cyber criminals lure people with cashback or prizes through scratch-card and “spin and win” offers. They then drain victims’ accounts by getting them to approve UPI collect requests and enter their PINs. Remember that a UPI PIN is needed only to send money from your account, never to receive it. How to protect yourself from fraud Check details of government schemes on the official website of the relevant department. Never share your Aadhaar, PAN, bank details, OTP or UPI PIN with anyone you do not know. Do not click on suspicious links, and decline UPI requests from unknown senders. If you fall victim to cyber fraud, call the 1930 helpline immediately or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Inform your bank at once and keep all evidence relating to the transaction. Post navigation Advisory for Indians in Italy amid violent protests:People urged to avoid crowded areas, emergency number provided Retirement planning at 40 with zero savings:How to build a ₹2.9 crore corpus in 20 years; start with a ₹15,000 monthly SIP
