We make things simple
You are added to a WhatsApp group called something like "VIP Stock Club". Every day, members post screenshots of huge profits. A "professor" shares tips, and everyone thanks him. After a week, you start to wonder whether you are missing …
"Dear customer, your account will be blocked today. Update your KYC now." There is a link, or a number to call. It looks urgent, and the bank's name is right there. This is one of the most common messages scammers …
Wedding season, and a message arrives on WhatsApp. "You are invited! Please open the card." Attached is a file with a name like Wedding_Invitation.apk . That file is not a card. What is an APK file? It is an app …
You hang up on a fake "TRAI officer" and feel pleased you did not fall for it. But tomorrow, the same number will call someone else. Someone who might. There is a government service where you can report it in …
The caller says he is from your mobile network. There is a problem with your SIM, or your network is about to be upgraded. To fix it, you just need to dial a short code and a number. It feels …
The call says a parcel in your name has been caught with drugs. Or your Aadhaar has been linked to money laundering. Then a "police officer" appears on a video call, in uniform, in what looks like a police station. …
You have given your fingerprint at a bank, a SIM shop and a ration counter. Each time, it was checked against your Aadhaar. Now imagine someone else using your fingerprint the same way, without you there. There is a simple …
Your mother pays for vegetables by phone now. She is quietly proud of it. She is also the person a fraudster wants to call tonight. You cannot sit beside her forever. So the aim is different. Set the phone up …
The message arrives and your stomach drops. Money has gone. You know at once you should not have tapped that. The next hour matters more than anything else. Shame is the thing most likely to waste it. So here is …
A payment fails and you want to speak to someone. So you search for the bank's customer care number. The first few results look right, and you call one. That one habit has emptied a great many accounts. Why is …
The call always comes at the worst moment. You are driving, or halfway out of the door. Your KYC has expired, and the account will be frozen tonight. They know your name and they know your bank. All of that …
Every shop counter in India now has a QR code taped to it. We scan them without a second thought. That is exactly why people worry about them. The worry deserves a proper answer. The truth is reassuring, and the …
A notification says there is money for you. All you have to do is approve it. You are halfway through your day, so you tap. Then the app asks for your PIN, and the money goes the other way. It …
Someone on a call is being very patient with you. They just need you to open your UPI app and enter your PIN. Then the refund can finally go through. So many UPI frauds in India end at that exact …
You set up your parents' phone beautifully. A week later they call anyway, because nobody remembers six new things at once. So the most useful thing of all is the simplest. One cheat-sheet they can keep right by the phone. …
A call comes in, the voice sounds official, and it is urgent. Your parent is put on the spot with no time to think. Scams aimed at older people are everywhere now, and they are cruel. Keeping your parents safe …
Imagine your phone rings. It's your son, your daughter, a grandchild. The voice is unmistakably theirs, and they are clearly panicking. There's been an accident, or they've been arrested, and they need money immediately. And please, they say, don't tell …
You get a message saying your bank KYC is pending. There's a link, or a file attached, and it looks official enough. A fake app can look identical to the real thing — same icon, almost the same name. And …
It always starts the same way. A message out of nowhere, from a number you don't know. "Part-time job, work from home, earn Rs 3,000-5,000 a day." "Just watch a few videos, rate some hotels, complete simple tasks." And at …
The call comes when you're busy. Someone claiming to be your bank, a courier company, or "customer care". There's a problem with your account, or your parcel, or a payment. You need to act right now. Just share the OTP, …