A doctor residing in Vikhroli, Mumbai, became the latest prey of an online fraud scheme while attempting to track her online order. The fraud, distinct from the common courier scams, unfolded rapidly, leaving the victim at a loss within seconds.
According to India Today reports, the victim, who works as a doctor, had placed an order online and was anxiously awaiting the delivery of her parcel. As the courier faced delays, she sought to track her package by reaching out to the purported delivery agent, Blue Dart, according to Indian Express reports.
However, lacking the direct contact number for the delivery agent, she resorted to an online search. Google led her to a contact number, ostensibly belonging to the delivery agent. Upon dialling the number, she encountered an individual who instructed her to download an application for tracking her order.
Trusting the legitimacy of the call, the victim followed the instructions and downloaded the suggested app, only to discover, to her horror, that Rs 68,000 had been debited from her bank account. The incident appears to be a case of a phishing scam, exploiting the victim's eagerness to resolve the delay in her parcel's delivery.
The imposter, posing as a delivery agent, manipulated the victim into downloading an application, likely crafted to illicitly gather sensitive information, including her banking details. With this information in hand, the scammer swiftly siphoned off Rs 68,000 from the victim's account.
An investigating police officer shed light on the prevalence of such scams, emphasizing that this was not an isolated case. Scammers, impersonating courier companies, exploit online searches for contact numbers, preying on unsuspecting individuals seeking legitimate assistance.
In recent months, multiple individuals have fallen victim to similar scams, losing money to fraudsters contacted during online searches. The officer disclosed that scammers might possess access to a database of courier companies, enabling them to make convincing calls. In some instances, the fraudsters have even gone to the extent of replacing genuine contact numbers with their fraudulent alternatives.