Kohima, June 21 (MExN): Nagaland Police has warned citizens against various cyber fraudsters who have been operating in the State.
In a press release on Tuesday, the Nagaland Police elaborated on the modus operandi (method of operation) prevalent among fraudsters in the state and advised the general public to remain vigilant and not be duped by such scams.
Among others, it said that fraudsters have been committing theft of identity and photos of the victims, often of well-known persons, which is openly available on the internet and social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, etc. They then access the contacts and mobile numbers of friends, colleagues, etc., from the official websites or contact lists and send out phishing messages through various social media platforms, asking the victim's friends and colleagues for help in the form of money transfers, common merchant card purchases, e-wallet transfers, etc. The fraudsters may also solicit and recommend some fraudulent apps requiring the transfer and deposit of money, it said.
Another method of operation, according to the police, is extortion or blackmailing of victims by contact or communication through Facebook chat, WhatsApp, etc. In these cases, it said, the victim is generally convinced or persuaded to chat, video chat, or exchange photos through social media. “The conversation or video may or may not be of sexual or of compromising nature and the scammers resort to morphing their pictures and superimposing compromising pictures to harass and threaten the victims with dire consequences. The fraudsters are professionals and try to overwhelm the victims through various aggressive tactics and language. Some victims, out of alarm, make payments through various online payment apps, UPIs, etc.,” the police informed.
Further, it also informed about Bitcoin scams where potential victims are lured to invest or buy Bitcoins by enticing them with messages and links and also by hacking the social media accounts of friends of the victim and making it seem like their friends are endorsing the particular Bitcoin.
Along with this, it also cautioned about fake online shopping apps and shopping pages or accounts in popular social media platforms. The fraudsters lure the victims by offering attractive offers or discounts through their pages; and after the victims make the payment, the delivery is not made, the Superintendent of Police (Crime) and PRO, PHQ, Nagaland Kohima Manojkumar A stated in the release.
Drawing attention to such widespread operations, the police emphasised that the fraudsters are professionals who take extra effort to appear genuine and operate through multiple identities, accounts, phone numbers, etc.
“Nagaland Police appeals to the general public not to transfer money without completely verifying the authenticity of the account, be it through bank transfer, easy money transfer Apps, UPIs, e-Wallets, etc., and not to accept requests from strangers without verification, no matter how genuine and attractive they may appear, and not to fall for advertisements or links for Bitcoins, Online Game Prizes/Gifts, Lottery, Cash Back, Easy Loans, Stock Market Investment Scams, Quick Returns, etc,” the release stated.
