In comparison with recent years, technology has improved considerably. The world has been introduced to so many new methods for helping people. The problem is that scammers are using technology to make a quick buck by cheating people. They have developed a unique scheme to rob people of their hard-earned money. Recently, fraudsters have been using browser notifications to steal money from innocent people's bank accounts.
Fraudsters are increasingly using browser notifications to steal money and confidential information from innocent people. The notifications that come from websites are called browser push notifications. You will receive these notifications through your browser. This notification is sent to your desktop or mobile device even if that particular website is not open in your browser. Users are kept informed of the latest developments with the help of this system. Most websites now ask their users for permission to send them notifications using pop-up messages.
How are fraudsters misusing this technique?
Despite helping people stay up to date, fraudsters are using push notifications to conduct phishing scams. They send malicious links to users as notifications and encourage them to open fake pages. Fraudsters place these pages on the Internet in order to steal your personal information and financial information. It is often required that people pay money to get prizes from these websites.
A Gurugram-based woman lost Rs.14,250 to online fraudsters while browsing the internet. The woman filed a complaint with the police, noting that while she was browsing online, she had received a notification containing a link. Clicking on the link, she was directed to a page announcing she'd won an Apple watch valued at Rs.29,000. She was asked to pay Rs.5,000 as registration fees and delivery fees. As soon as she entered her banking details, Rs.5,000 from her savings account were immediately debited from her account, and minutes after that, three more transactions were made from her account. According to the police report, the lady lost Rs.14,250 in three transactions within 10 minutes. Even though she did not give anyone her PIN, CVV, or one-time password (OTP), money was debited from her account.
Considering how this fraud seems to increase every day, it is essential to be cautious before clicking on any push notifications. Because this feature is so widespread and easy to exploit, fraud related to it is on the rise. If you want to avoid this type of fraud, you need to allow notifications only from trusted websites. Pop-ups can be dangerous, so be careful when interacting with them. Don't allow notifications unless they are useful.
What can you do to avoid fraud of this kind?
1. It's never a good idea to make a payment to someone who claims to be a lottery winner. Do not share any sensitive information with anyone over the phone.
2. You should always check the domain name of a website before you use it. Ensure that the URL begins with "https" [not "http"] and that the lock icon appears.
3. It is recommended that digital escrow platforms be used for payment. When making an online payment with Escrow, you do not share your financial information with anyone. There is a platform for escrow called Vouch.
Also Check: Fraud Story #74 - Beware of lucky draws and smart deals.
How does digital escrow work?
With digital escrow, a third-party account holds the buyer's money until the seller complies with the contract terms. An escrow company supervises all parties involved in the transaction.
What is the role of Digital Escrow in preventing online fraud in India?
Vouch Digital Escrow ensures the smooth transfer of products and payments to buyers by securing transactions between buyers and sellers. Customer orders will be delivered on time and customers will be fairly compensated quickly. Fraudsters will usually ask for QR codes or OTP codes or ask you to click on phishing links, but you can easily avoid them by declining and requesting the transaction to be completed with Vouch.
Vouch Digital Escrow offers non-interest-bearing escrow accounts for companies in India, and you will be kept in the loop throughout the process. During the whole process of payment, shipping, and deliveries, Vouch's professional team continuously watches over every aspect, so that cheating and fraud are impossible. Vouch's professionals will answer all of your questions throughout the transaction. With Vouch, business transactions are transparent, streamlined, and convenient.
This is Fraud Story #90. Check back here for more fraud stories and scams that you can protect yourself from.
Safety is not just about protecting your credit, debit card number, and UPI accounts. It's about having control of your money till you've received the product or service you bought online!
Note: This is a good-faith initiative to educate the world about avoiding frauds like these and how to act when you're becoming a victim of such a situation.
Do you have a fraud you would like to report? Please write to us at letstalk@iamvouched.com
