In today’s digital age, where convenience often comes with risks, it’s crucial to remain vigilant against cybercrimes. Cybercriminals usually target people who implement digital platforms to transact money. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a digital payment platform that enables real-time, cashless transactions via mobile phones, is one of the channels where fraud is on the rise. From phishing scams to deceptive UPI handles, one wrong move and you could lose all your money. Walking along a similar vein, a woman recently made a narrow escape from getting scammed through UPI and shared her experience on X (formerly Twitter).
In a series of X posts, the woman recounted that once a con man tried to scam her over the phone, indirectly asking her to send money to his Google Pay (Gpay) account. “I get a call from some guy who said he got my number from my dad because my dad said he is not on Gpay and I am. He said he had to send my dad some LIC money and that he asked him to transfer it to me instead. Seemed legit enough so I said sure,” she wrote. Initially, the woman did not suspect anything. Once the man confirmed the woman’s Gpay number, he informed her that he would be sending Rs 25,000 to her account while they were on call.
I then tell him that I have a message on Gpay and not money. He asks me if I want to see a screenshot from him.I tell him why don't we wait till my dad's back and I will call him from his number to sort this.
He's gone.
— Tamanna (@itssynecdoche) January 5, 2024
“Right then I hear a notification on my phone. Him (in Hindi): ‘Did you get it, beta?’ I ask him to hold so I can check but I can hear him rushing me as I move the phone away from my ear. It’s an SMS,” wrote the woman before adding the screenshot of the text she received. However, when the con man tried to transfer Rs 5000 to the woman’s account, he purposefully sent Rs 50,000 instead and asked her to return the extra Rs 45,000 back to his account. “I see 50k and my alarm bells have gone off. I know what’s coming… Now I have caught on to him. I tell him I only have text, no money on Gpay.”
In another screenshot, it was revealed that the con man did not transfer any money to the woman’s account. Instead, he just sent her a deceiving text that read that the money was received. “I then tell him that I have a message on Gpay and not money,” informed the woman and urged the man to contact her once her father returned. In the concluding statement, the woman revealed, “This happened not long after I had tried to enter my Aadhar details on the EPFO website.”
This scary encounter is a reminder to be safe while dealing with online transactions and not to give away personal details on any website.
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