Facing issues with your digital wallet? A quick call or chat with their customer care executive or bot can help resolve them. Another popular option is to express your concerns on social media platforms, especially X, where the gateway company is active. This approach sounds foolproof and often results in a quick resolution, with their support team responding to your query immediately.
However, scammers, too, are found lurking in the shadows online, ready to offer help while pretending to be concerned customer care agents. In a recent incident, fraudsters duped an individual into sharing sensitive information and draining their e-wallet.
Let’s analyse the digital wallet scam and learn how to stay safe from their deceptive plots.
Modus Operandi
Help Wanted: You share a post on X highlighting an issue with your digital wallet and tag the official handle.
Imposter Alert: A scammer reaches out to you via a fake X handle claiming to be a customer care executive and assures you they’ll help find a solution. They ask you to share your phone number.
Re-link Account: They inform you that your account needs to be re-linked, for which an OTP (One-Time Password) will be sent to your phone via SMS.
Wallet Access: Once you share the OTP with the scammer, the money in your digital wallet is transferred to their account.
Red Flags
Customer care representatives ask you to share the OTP that you did not initiate or request.
Instead of first responding to your post publicly, they call or directly message you.
What To Do
Pause: Verify the digital wallet's social media handle by reviewing their account. Contact the official customer care number to cross-check the phone number. You can also use Truecaller.
Inform: If you have shared the OTP with the scammer, immediately contact the wallet company’s official support to block your account or UPI ID. Notify your bank as well.
Report: If you were scammed or were able to spot this scam, then report the incident as soon as possible through a government portal such as Chakshu (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/) and the national cybercrime helpline number—1930. You can also lodge a complaint with the local police station.
The Quint's Scamguard initiative aims to keep up with emerging digital scams to help you stay informed and vigilant. If you've been scammed or successfully thwarted one, then tell us your story. Contact us via WhatsApp at +919999008335 or email us at myreport@thequint.com. You can also fill out the Google form and help us take your story forward.)
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