A few days ago, a 79-year-old retired civil engineer from Delhi was a victim of cyber fraud. Scammers lured him into updating his life certificate through a fake advertisement. After this, money was withdrawn from his bank account. Recently, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) shared a video of a similar incident from its ‘X’ handle. It warned pensioners about scams happening in the name of life certificate updates. So, today in the Cyber Literacy column, we will talk in detail about this scam. We will also learn that- Question- What is a Pensioner Life Certificate, and how did fraudsters swindle a retired senior citizen? Answer- This is an official certificate proving that the pension holder is alive. Pensioners have to update this certificate every year through their bank or an authorized portal. If it is not submitted on time, the pension can be stopped. Fraudsters take advantage of this. Understand two different cases below- First Case According to the video shared by I4C, a retired police officer saw an ad to update his pensioner life certificate while scrolling Facebook. As soon as he clicked on this ad, a webpage opened. Some of his personal details were already auto-filled in it. He didn’t think much and submitted the form. A while later, he received a phone call and an .apk file was sent to him on WhatsApp. He was told to download this file and fill out the form. Your pensioner life certificate will be updated. He entered his Aadhaar number, phone number in the form and submitted the OTP. As soon as he did this, control of his phone went to cyber criminals. In a short time, 2.40 lakh rupees were debited from his bank account. Second Case In the second incident, a retired civil engineer saw an advertisement for PNB Life Certificate while scrolling on Facebook. As soon as he clicked on the link, his name and mobile number were taken. The caller, identifying himself as PNB staff, sent PNB Pension Life Certificate Update.apk on WhatsApp and had him download the app. Through the app, personal and bank details were taken, and to gain trust, 1 rupee was shown to be deducted. Within a few hours, 4.15 lakh rupees were withdrawn from the account. Question – What mistake did the retired elderly make that caused them to fall victim to fraud? Answer – Both retired elderly individuals made three major mistakes – Question – How do cyber scammers carry out fraud in the name of pensioner life certificate updates? Answer – Scammers obtain bank details through fake apps and calls in the name of pensioner life certificate updates. After this, they extort money from the account. Understand this from the graphic given below- Question – Why do people fall for such scams so easily? Answer – In this scam, fraudsters exploit the limited technical knowledge of pensioners. By invoking essential processes like ‘Life Certificate Update’, they scare pensioners that if it’s not updated immediately, their pension might stop. Out of this fear, they click on fake links without verification. Question – What precautions should be taken to avoid any such scam? Answer- For this, it is important to make the elders of the house aware of technology. Tell them that banks or the government never update life certificates by sending APK files or asking for details over the phone. Also, give them some more basic information. Understand this from the graphic below- Question What is the correct way for pensioners to update or obtain a life certificate? Answer A life certificate is updated only through a bank branch, post office, or the government’s jeevanpramaan.gov.in portal. It is never done through social media links, calls, or APK files. Question- What necessary steps should be taken to protect the elderly at home from scams? Answer- For this, definitely tell the elderly at home a few things. Such as- Question- What basic things are important to keep in mind to avoid any scam? Answer- For this, keep 6 basic things in mind. If you understand these, you can avoid any scam. Question – If someone falls victim to a scam, what should they do immediately? Answer- Immediately call the cyber crime helpline number 1930 and inform your bank. Get all bank transactions blocked immediately. The sooner you file a complaint, the higher the chances of getting your money back. Question- Where and how can I complain about this scam? Answer- You can complain about this scam by calling the National Cyber Crime helpline number 1930. Additionally, you can also file an online complaint by visiting the website cybercrime.gov.in. Please note that while filing a complaint, be sure to provide bank transaction details, mobile number, screenshots, and call/message information so that action can be taken quickly. Additionally, you can also file a complaint at your nearest police station.
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