In short, cybercriminals are getting more creative and pragmatic. Sujith GThe founder of Chennai-based advertising agency Point S knew something was wrong when he started receiving messages from friends and family asking, “Are you okay?” “While I was at work, I started getting flooded with messages from family and friends asking how much money I needed.” I was confused until I found out that all of them were receiving requests from my social media accounts asking for money. I alerted my friend and told him to report the account. Fortunately, no one lost any money, but the fact that it is difficult to tell the real from the fake is getting scary,” says Sujith.
While Sujith and his friends didn’t lose any money, Pooja T, an IT professional, lost the $1,500 she had spent on clothes. “I did not receive what was shown on the website,” says Pooja. “I tried to go to the store to return the item, but I couldn’t find the site anywhere. It had been taken down. There was no contact information listed, so I couldn’t contact you.” Sanjay KumarDeputy Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime Control Branch, Chennai, said online scams have been happening for years and only the modus operandi has changed. “Here in the past week we have seen an increase in the number of complaints about courier scams, where people receive calls from scammers pretending to be police saying there are illegal items in their parcels.A few days ago, a woman I lost 1.5 billion yen to this scam.
People need to be careful and realize that there is nothing to fear and there is no need to complain at your local police station or online. ” According to another official from the Cyber Crime Department, fraudsters steal money online by bypassing ATM machine and credit card PIN numbers and moving to phishing links to offer quick money for virtual tasks. They allegedly make withdrawals, post fake products, pose as potential marriage allies on matrimonial sites, and pose as customs officials. . “Scams are easy to identify by looking at the language used, which usually has poor grammar. But with the advent of artificial intelligence, it has become increasingly easy to perform the task seamlessly. It’s only a matter of time before masters use AI to mimic the tone of a person’s text messages, making them seem more authentic,” says Sujith.
Cybercrime investigator Dhanya Menon says the use of AI in cybercrime has increased recently. “We have investigated cases where people’s faces were deepfaked and voices were added using AI. One of our clients, who is an influencer, created a deepfake video of himself talking about controversial content. I had a hacker post it.
Customers often receive calls from unknown numbers claiming to be relatives and using AI to imitate their voices and demanding money. ” When AI is involved, there is no way to screen for the authenticity of a crime, so people need to protect themselves by scrutinizing what they publish online, Dhanya says. “Often we post photos and videos without realizing that it could help a scammer use his AI to clone our voice or face. It’s best to create one and only follow people you know.”
Trick or cheat?
Program Coordinator Shaheen J was scrolling through Instagram when she saw an ad offering the skort she wanted at a discount. She ordered by swiping the embedded link to her store online. After she made the payment, she received a payment confirmation and invoice via email. “Five days later, I received a jar of honey!” After she tried to contact the online clothing store multiple times, she realized she had been scammed. She says, “Now I always check the website and reviews before ordering something.”
Stay truly safe virtually
- For added security, use a two-factor authentication app like Google Authenticator or Authy via SMS-based 2FA.These apps are not vulnerable to interception
- Regularly update your operating system, web browser, and antivirus or antimalware software. Patch security vulnerabilities.
- Legitimate websites use Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) to encrypt your data. Don’t enter sensitive information on sites that don’t have HTTPS encryption.
- Don’t allow unnecessary access to your personal information.Grant permission only to trusted applications
- Avoid accessing sensitive information such as online banking and shopping over public Wi-Fi networks.
(Aarushi Koolwal, CloudSEK SVigil Cyber Security Consultant)
Wandering around
Police and private investigators say these are the cybercrimes they’re dealing with
- Will you pay me? | Scammers pose as potential brides and grooms on matrimonial websites and build relationships with people. After a few months, they extort money and then block the victim.
- Doesn’t fit the bill | In this phishing link scam, people receive a text message saying their electricity will be cut off because they don’t pay their bills. A link to pay the amount is attached. When the user clicks on the link, the hacker hacks and wipes the user’s bank account.
- package deal | Customs officials or police may contact you with your name and address to inform you that illegal substances have been found in your luggage.The scammer then demands payment of the fine