Cops’ fraud alert: Beware of numbers starting with +92
Times of India | 28 September 2024
Kolkata: Fraud extortion calls from +92 (Pakistan ISD number) have seen a sudden jump ahead of the festive season with fraudsters using two modus operandi — threatening the digital arrest of the victims or threatening that their son/daughter have been detained by police/central agencies.
Cops said the first number of the caller itself should be enough to raise doubts, adding that they are raising awareness on this issue now.
Similarly, multiple such callers are using Dubai numbers or Indian numbers with calls originating from South-East Asia.
In a fresh post on their social media page, cops have even provided an example of the crime so that it is easily understandable for the citizens. At the end, the cops also shared tips to not fall victim to such crime.
“It is a warning about the clever tactics that cybercriminals use to exploit emotions and technology gaps. Always double-check any claims made by unknown callers, especially those pretending to be from the police. No legitimate officer demands money via phone calls. The caller’s number, for example like +92, should send an alarm to the potential victim. Stay calm. Panic can lead to poor decisions,” they wrote.
“Always try to contact the person involved and remain composed before taking action. Educate family members. Make sure that elderly family members are aware of potential scams and know how to avoid them. Call 1930 — national cybercrime portal — and divisional cyber cell and lodge FIR,” they added.
Cops said that even the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), earlier this year, issued an advisory to citizens about calls from foreign numbers, especially from Pakistan. According to the ministry, these calls are being received by citizens wherein callers, initially, in the name of DoT, threatened mobile users that their numbers would be disconnected. These callers also threatened mobile users by saying that their numbers were being misused in some illegal activities. The modus operandi, this time though, are leading fraudsters to drop the names of police forces directly.
TOI came across yet another case where the victim endured nine days of trauma and ended up transferring Rs 20 lakh to the cyber attackers.