Online fraud: Ernakulam rural police warn people to be wary of dubious audio, video calls

Ernakulam rural police issue advisory on online fraud, warning against calls from +92 numbers to prevent financial loss.

The frequency of online fraud has prompted the Ernakulam rural police to issue yet another advisory, urging the public to exercise utmost caution in the cyberworld.

The advisory specifically warns against suspicious audio and video calls from numbers starting with +92. If not handled carefully, these calls could result in the loss of one’s entire life savings. The advisory was issued following numerous complaints regarding online fraud.

The display picture of those making such calls often features an image of an enforcement official in uniform, which is part of a larger scheme to intimidate unsuspecting victims into falling for their trap.

Recently, the father of an MBBS student received a call from someone claiming to be from an enforcement agency. He was told that his daughter had been detained due to her alleged links with a drug racket. The phone was then purportedly passed to his daughter, but he only heard sobs and the background sound of a wireless device. This was part of the ploy to convince the victim of the situation’s authenticity.

The caller informed the victim that formalities were yet to begin and that he could still save his daughter by paying a large sum. The fraudsters created maximum tension, leaving the victim little time to think rationally or verify the situation, thus pressuring him into making the payment. It was only later, when he contacted his daughter, that he realised he had been conned.

This is just one example of the schemes used by fraudsters. They use various tactics to intimidate victims, such as claiming their accounts are involved in money laundering, that SIM cards issued in their names are being used for anti-national activities, or that drugs have been seized from a courier in their name.

In some cases, fraudsters create elaborate setups resembling a movie set, such as a courtroom with judges, where victims are falsely told they have been virtually arrested and will not be released until they pay up. They also present fake documents as proof to intimidate victims into following their orders.