12 Kolkata: Alerting senior citizens to be more cautious while dealing with their hard-earned money, Bidhannagar Police issued an advisory about a pension scam, a new modus operandi by cyber fraudsters.
As part of the scam, fraudsters send WhatsApp and text messages to senior citizens, stating they had received a PM Pension Yojana-2024 notification. "The message says the recipient is eligible to receive Rs 50,000 under PM Pension Yojana and asks the person to click on a link to put in their details. If the person does click on that link, he or she is routed to a phishing or cloning site and stands the chance of losing money on sharing banking details," said a senior Bidhannagar police officer, pointing out they had received multiple such complaints in the past few months.
Police warned against clicking on such links and also urged people to immediately report the number on 1930. "If you receive such messages or emails, it is advisable to contact your bank directly to confirm the authenticity and don't respond to such messages. For all such phishing messages, one should immediately report it by calling 1930 helpline," said the officer.
Cops have also issued warnings to retirees about another WhatsApp scam, where the fraudsters send a link and ask the person to submit the yearly life certificate, a crucial document required to get pension. The link or forms sought sensitive details, such as banking information and PPO numbers, said police, adding the fraudsters could exploit this information for financial crimes.
"These fraudulent communications aim to deceive elderly citizens and obtain their confidential data and possible access to their finances. It is important to note that Jeevan Pramaan certificates notifications are never sent on WhatsApp or any social networking platform," said the officer.
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