Click and get duped: Online fraud uses fancy names

By declaring them winners of millions of pounds,these e-mails using names like CNN International Fans of India,ICC Cricket Club Awards and also various mobile firms are seeking information from people about their bank account,credit card numbers,name,address,sex,national and occupation along with signed cheques to dupe them of their money.

In addition to it,e-mails are also in circulation that speak of a distant relative,who had a sudden death and left a fortune worth millions of dollars or pounds in the person’s name to whom the mail has been sent and which needs to be transferred to that person’s bank account.

These are some of the forms of online fraud that has come to the notice of Chandigarh police,who claim are “highly destructive” in nature.

The modus operandi is to give fake mobile numbers and websites and lure people to deposit a few thousand rupees as tax charges required for the payment of millions of dollars or pounds.

Sample this: ‘Warm Greetings And Congrats; Thanks for taking your time to read this notification email,We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as one of the lucky winner’s from the on-going lottery contestant who has been qualified for the STAR prize of 700,000 POUNDS (52,013,579.21 INR) sponsored by CNN INTERNATIONAL fans of India. For further processing please kindly notify your claims agent on the e-mail provided below this mail or contact us via our web-page for more details and current update on how to claim your prize. Please note (This is not a spam message,Website has been provided below for re-view); Method of Receiving Prize – 1: Issuing A Cashier Check In Your Name (This will Be Couriered To You Through A Courier Firm).’

“Such mails have caused a lot of loss to many people in Chandigarh. Every other week,we receive two-three such complaints,where people allege that they were duped because of such mails. One finds it too difficult to trace the location of such mails. Moreover,people themselves fall prey to such swindlers and then cry foul,” Inspector Neeraj Sarna,in-charge of Chandigarh police’s Cyber Cell said.

In a recent case,one such person was duped of Rs 20,000,when he was asked to deposit the money as tax charges for transfer of payment. The account details,when procured,were found fake. The investigation hit a road block after that. It is not only emails,but SMS messages and calls from Pakistan are being made to people in the city,trying to lure them.

“One basic question we ask everybody is that if you have never applied or participated in a lottery,how could you be the winner. People still don’t understand and keep getting cheated,” Sarna said.