A few days ago, Reliance Jio issued a stern warning to its customers about cyber fraud. The telecom operator had sent an email to its customers warning about e-KYC (Know Your Customer) scams. This is not a new thing and many banks like SBI have also alerted the users about the increasing cases of KYC frauds.
In the past, Airtel and Vi (earlier Vodafone) also warned about this, but it seems that a lot of users are still being duped by fraudsters in the name of KYC verification as Reliance Jio has sent a special email to its customers. He said that these cases of cyber fraud are increasing and people should be alert.
The telecom operator says that fraudsters posing as Jio’s representative and requesting details related to your Aadhar card, bank accounts and OTP on the pretext of pending e-KYC. Fraudsters usually insist that Jio services will be affected if the customer does not submit the documents to complete the eKYC, which is not true. It should be noted that e-KYC is mostly required to activate your SIM at the time of purchase.
A customer is also sometimes asked to install a third-party app that allows fraudsters to gain remote access to bank accounts linked to the customer’s phone and device. Reliance Jio says it never asks anyone to install any other app, and everything will be available on its official MyJio app. Here’s a look at how you can stay safe and avoid online fraud or fraud.
How to avoid online fraud or fraud?
Firstly, users are advised to avoid SMS messages that promise to offer great offers or deals. Refrain from clicking on any link or image sent by callers (or any unknown person) as they may take you to a fake site designed to cheat your hard-earned money.
People should avoid tempting cashback offers over email or SMS and beware of ones that seem too good to be true. One should not answer unwanted calls from fraudsters of Jio, Airtel and Vi. The same advice is given for bank calls. People sometimes also get an e-KYC SMS asking them to call back numbers, which again should be avoided.
Many users receive calls warning customers about mobile services being suspended. Well, this will happen only if you have not used the SIM and recharged it for months. If it isn’t, you will never get these calls. Additionally, the official app of each telecom company will always display the suspension details in the app.
Users should also avoid sharing sensitive details like OTP, as it is used by banks as well as apps to provide access to your account. For example, in August last year, it was reported that a fraudster signed up on WhatsApp using the victim’s number and then convinced the same person to provide the OTP.
The hacker then accessed the victim’s WhatsApp account and locked it by enabling two-factor authentication. The account was then used to send malware links, and the hacker could also ask for money.
The best way to avoid online scams is to create unique passwords or PINs for your apps and online accounts and refresh them at regular intervals. There is also a lot of fraud because of QR codes. People sometimes scan an unknown QR code on WhatsApp and pay to the fraudster. Make sure you are paying to someone you trust using the QR code.
Reliance Jio says customers should never share their 20-digit SIM number and should avoid downloading remote access apps sent by fraudsters. One should keep checking his/her bank statement regularly and report any irregularity to his/her bank immediately.