TN cybercrime police caution public against online scam offers

Chennai, Oct 1 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Police cybercrime wing has urged the public to remain alert to online fraud involving bogus lottery winnings, instant loan applications, scholarship promises and grocery discounts, warning that attractive offers can become traps for stealing money and personal information.

In advisories aimed at improving public awareness, police said scammers were using messages and social media posts to draw people into fraudulent schemes.

They advised users to check the authenticity of offers before making payments, opening links or providing sensitive information. One common method involves messages claiming that the recipient has won a lottery prize.

Fraudsters then demand money under the guise of processing fees, taxes or other charges before the winnings can be released. Police urged people not to transfer money in response to such claims or disclose personal and banking details.

Promises of huge winnings should be treated with caution, particularly when the sender seeks an advance payment. The wing also warned against fake grocery promotions offering unusually steep discounts.

These advertisements are designed to attract customers and persuade them to follow links that may expose them to fraud.

Consumers should verify any promotion through the retailer’s official website or application, police said. They should avoid unknown links and never share one-time passwords or banking information with anyone responding to an offer.

Another advisory focused on fraudulent loan applications that promise access to money.

According to police, such apps can be used to collect users’ personal data, which fraudsters subsequently exploit to harass them over repayments. The warning urged people to exercise caution before downloading applications advertised as providers of instant loans.

The advisory also flagged scholarship-related scams among the online schemes against which the public should remain vigilant. People who lose money to cyber fraud, or encounter suspicious online activity, can call the national cybercrime helpline, 1930, or report the matter through cybercrime.gov.in, police said.

The cybercrime wing has also been publishing awareness videos through its official social media accounts to explain how these scams operate and the precautions people can take.

The advisories emphasise a common precaution across the schemes: verify the source of an offer before acting on it. Whether the message promises a prize, financial assistance or cheaper groceries, users should be wary of demands for money or confidential information.

–IANS

aal/dpb