The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Gullible fall prey to fraud schemes

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Saturday, Jun 04, 2011
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Gullible fall prey to fraud schemes

Fraudsters enter areas where new services attract consumers and disappear after making money with false offers, writes Marri Ramu

Whenever a new system or concept is introduced, fraudsters look out for means to exploit it. Cloning of mobile phones and credit cards, duping in the name of jobs through data entry projects and pay per click frauds of online advertising are classic examples.

The latest is defrauding consumers with tempting deals like the sale of a Blackberry worth Rs. 10,000 for Rs. 6,000, albeit within a specific period. A body massage normally costing Rs. 3,000 is offered for Rs. 1,000 or an air-conditioner costing Rs. 30,000 is sold for Rs. 10,000.

Attractive offers

Such offers naturally attract people. The business idea behind them is that a massage centre will have lean period during some days of a week. For example, there is less demand for massage on the first two working days of a week or last week of a month. To improve business on those days, the centre owners come up with such deals.

Similarly, a mobile phone manufacturer would cut down the discounts given to dealers, sub-dealers and agents. He would pass on these discounts to the consumer and sell it for a price lesser than normal. By this, he is continuing to get business and the consumer too is benefitting.

As the concept is catching up with consumers, a trickster recently took hundreds of consumers for a ride by impressing them with the offer of Rs. 200 talk time on mobile phones for a re-charge coupon of Rs. 50. He claimed that his deal was the best in the mobile phone service area. Since many such deals were already available, scores of people ‘grabbed the opportunity'.

Cards cloned

They did not realise that the condition put by the salesman to purchase the coupon only by using a credit or debit card was meant to deceive them. The salesman collected details of their cards while swiping them. He simultaneously cloned the cards by using skimmers.

The consumers were shaken out of their joy of making a good deal when their respective banks sent statements showing that either money was withdrawn from their accounts or goods purchased using their cards. Most of the victims maintained that they mistook the offer for a genuine deal and were taken for a ride.

Investigators say this is the same old pattern of fraudsters entering the areas where new concepts or services attract consumers and disappear after making money with false offers. Law-enforcing agencies have little control over such offers, and hence it is better if the consumers are vigilant and cautious about them.

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