Delhi police recently apprehended an international lottery scam gang, which was defrauding people of millions of rupees by luring them with fake lotteries and gifts. This gang includes 6 accused, among whom are 2 Nigerian nationals. According to the police, the accused would entice people with the lure of winning fake lotteries and make them transfer money to bank accounts, but in reality, there was no prize or gift. Therefore, today in the Cyber Literacy column, we will talk about ways to avoid lottery scams. We will also learn that how do scammers trap people and how to identify a lottery scam? Question – What is a lottery scam? Answer- A lottery scam is a type of fraud where scammers claim that you have won a big lottery, gift, or prize. In the name of winning, they ask for money as processing fees, taxes, or registration charges. When you send the money, it goes to the scammer. After that, they stop responding. Question- How do scammers trap people? Answer- First, they send a message via SMS or WhatsApp saying that you have won a lottery of 25 lakhs. This can be any amount. They call and identify themselves as a company agent, government official, or an employee of a foreign organization. They also claim prize winnings on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. They create fake websites and email IDs and communicate professionally. They ask for Aadhaar, PAN, and photos to gain trust. After this, they ask you to deposit money into a fake bank account. Question- How to identify if someone is running a lottery scam? Answer- If you have never participated in any lottery, yet you have received a message about winning a lottery. In such a case, you need to be careful. If the scammer says that you will have to send money first to get the prize, then it is a scam. Their caller ID or email ID looks strange and suspicious. They do not have any official lottery website or the documents cannot be verified. They often pressure you to make a decision very quickly. Question- What is the most common mistake in a lottery scam? Answer- In this, people, driven by greed, send money without proper verification. Scammers create pressure to do everything very quickly, due to which people are unable to make decisions very wisely. They feel that it is necessary to claim the lottery by paying money first. Whereas, in real prizes, money is never asked for upfront. Question- What to do if bank details or OTP are given to a scammer? Answer- First, immediately call the bank’s helpline and block the account. Change your password and UPI PIN. After this, file a report on the www.cybercrime.gov.in website. Turn on 2-factor authentication in banking and social media. Additionally, remove all unknown apps and links from your phone. Question- Does any government institution run a lottery scheme? Answer- In India, some state governments run lottery schemes, but they are completely legal and offline. Government lotteries never ask for money to give prizes. If someone claims to be a government institution and asks for money, it is a scam. Question- Can lottery links received on WhatsApp or Facebook be trustworthy? Answer- No, absolutely not. Lottery links that appear on social media are often scams. These can be fake websites or malware links that can steal data from your phone or commit financial fraud. Question- How do scammers create fake accounts and documents? Answer- Scammers open multiple accounts in different banks by using fake Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and fake addresses. Many times, these fake documents are created by paying money to local agents or data entry operators. Fraudulent money is transferred into these accounts and immediately withdrawn. Question- What techniques do scammers use for fraud? Answer- Scammers withdraw money through UPI transfer, IMPS, mobile wallets, or ATMs. Often, they create fake UPI IDs in others’ names and send them in messages. The account name and profile picture are also deliberately made to look genuine so that people trust them. The smartest way to avoid them is alertness. Question- How do scammers target children or the elderly? Answer- The elderly are lured with government rewards, pensions, bonuses, or Prime Minister’s schemes. Meanwhile, children are sent links or calls, tempting them with gaming rewards, gift cards, or YouTube channel prizes. Information is extracted from them to hack banking or social media accounts. Question- Can fraud happen even without sharing an OTP? Answer- Yes, sometimes scammers connect mobile or bank devices using remote access apps like QuickSupport, AnyDesk, and then read the OTP directly from your SMS. Therefore, if a stranger asks you to install an app or share your screen over a call, immediately refuse and be cautious. Question- Which section of BNS applies to OTP or bank fraud? Answer- If a person fraudulently takes your bank data and withdraws money, BNS Section 316 (1) will be applied to them. This provides for a punishment of 5 to 10 years and a fine.
The post Don’t fall into the trap of lottery:If these 6 signs appear, be alert – 7 important precautions to avoid scams appeared first on Tri-Cities India.
