Now, cyber crooks turn to IVRS calls to threaten & dupe users
Times of India | 14 July 2024
Kolkata: In their latest modus operandi, cyber criminals are making calls to people using Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS). A computer generated voice calls random mobile numbers and threatens the user that they have to make an appearance in a court located at a faraway location in connection with any serious crime. It also states that if the appearance is skipped,arrests will follow.
The voice further states that if they want to continue using their mobile number they should press 9.Many fall prey to the trap laid by the fraudsters, who siphon off their money.
“If the said button is pressed, the accused – posing as a govt employee – goes for ‘negotiations’ and extorts money in the name of settling the cases. The IVRS calls are an added tool to make the fake calls more believable,” stated a senior officer at Lalbazar. Such cases are noticing an abnormal spurt in the city with the divisional cyber cells launching probes in two instances, police said on Thursday. However, money lost has not been reported yet. Senior police officers said the cyber-criminals frequently adopt new schemes to siphon off money from their victims. “People should not trust any stranger over the phone and should contact the local office of their telecom service provider before transferring money online or sharing their personal credentials,” said a senior police officer.
A divisional cyber cell officer said such an IVRS call went viral on social media in the past week.