Postmaster loses money in online scam

A postmaster in Ludhiana, India, recently lost a significant amount of money to an online scam. Sarabjit Singh, who works at the Halwara post office, applied for a loan of Rs656,003 (INR200,000) through the Flipkart app.

A few days later, he received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Flipkart. The caller said his loan was approved but needed more information to complete the process. They sent him a link to an online form and asked him to pay a small fee of 5 rupees.

However, when Sarabjit tried to pay, a much larger amount, Rs285,355, was unexpectedly deducted from his bank account. He immediately called the person who contacted him, but the caller quickly ended the call and turned off their phone.

Sarabjit realized he had been tricked and filed a police report.

How to Protect Yourself from Online Scams

Verify the source: Always double-check who is contacting you. Call the official customer service number of the company or app directly to confirm the information.
Be careful with links: Never click on links from unknown sources, especially if they ask for your personal or financial information.
Use trusted apps: Download apps only from official app stores like Google Play or the Apple App Store. Avoid downloading apps from other sources.
Watch your accounts: Regularly check your bank statements for any unusual activity. Report any unauthorized transactions immediately.
Learn about scams: Stay informed about common scams and share this information with others to help them avoid falling victim.

On December 17, a police constable in India fell victim to a QR-code scam, resulting in a loss exceeding Rs 2.3 lacs Indian Rupees (INR).

The Saswad resident attempted to make a routine payment for items purchased at a local bakery when the situation escalated into a distressing ordeal. Unauthorized transactions subsequently drained his bank accounts, including his gold loan account.

The constable first became aware of the fraud when he noticed an unauthorized debit of INR 18,755 from his bank account. Upon further examination, he found that INR 12,250 had been withdrawn from his salary account. Additionally, he discovered an unauthorized transaction amounting to INR 1.9 lacs from his gold loan account.

Notably, he received the OTPs for these transactions but did not share them, yet the transactions were still successfully executed.