The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Online fraud on the rise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Online fraud on the rise

Anyone having an e-mail address is at risk of falling a victim to online fraud, writes
Marri Ramu

On learning about increasing online fraud cases across the country, the city police had recently created an e-mail address to receive such complaints from people. The idea was to ensure that Hyderabadis do not fall prey to online tricksters and nip the dangerous crime pattern in the bud.

But the startling number of over 80 e-mail responses received within a fortnight indicated that fraudsters have already spread their tentacles and online fraud is rising alarmingly.

‘Phishing’ is the most frequently reported Internet-based mode of fraud. The con artistes operating from different parts of the world send millions of e-mails that appear to be originating from a legitimate Internet address -usually from banks or companies one is working.

Doctor duped

Their aim is to secure personal information or account details. Usually these mails contain warnings stating the person’s account will be suspended or closed if they fail to respond. Within hours of securing the details, the fraudsters get the money transferred online from the victim’s account to theirs. Recently, a doctor hailing from Hyderabad and living in Jeddah was duped of Rs. 5 lakh in this fashion.

Every one having an e-mail address is at risk of becoming a victim. More susceptible are the e-mail addresses of individuals that are posted on Internet.

Lottery scam

Another modus operandi is online lottery scam, known as advance fee cheating or Nigerian fraud. An e-mail sent to a person in the name of a lottery company stating that he or she had won huge online lottery money. To claim the prize money, the mail receiver is asked to transfer some amount online to specified bank accounts. Recently, a family from Chaderghat was duped of over Rs. 30 lakh using this method.

Some precautions

With the number of Internet users going up every passing day, such frauds are also on the rise. The city police detective department DCP R.S. Praveen Kumar opines taking small precautions would control such frauds if not completely root out them. “Golden rule is not to disclose your personal information or Internet bank code data to anyone,” he suggests.

Ignore unsolicited e-mails of all types. Never click on the links within the text of the e-mail. If a person is worried of his or her account being suspended, they better contact the bank over phone. If you’re cheated in this fashion, alert the local police.

With many victims not reporting the incidents to police due to embarrassment or guiltiness, the police are not realising the seriousness of the crime pattern. Do not give in to greed if mails announcing huge prize money are sent and alert the city police at

hydcrimebranch@gmail.

com or call on telephone no. 040 27852625.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh