BEWARE! Did you get call from foreign number? Know about THIS new cybercrime trick

Cybercriminals have changed the way they used to operate. They now track and monitor your online presence before tricking you into their trap. You may lose your hard-earned money if you get into their trap. Cybercriminals are now calling their targets by posing as relatives who are in foreign countries.

Many Indians are living in foreign countries either for their jobs or education and cybercriminals are now taking advantage of this. Punjab and Haryana contribute a large chunk of NRIs and people often disclose these proudly on their social media platforms like Facebook. Cybercriminals understand that people back home are concerned about their relatives in foreign countries and thus they call posing as relatives to seek urgent financial aid. When a family member gets a call from a foreign number and hears about some financial urgency, they immediately transfer money to the number given to them and thus get trapped in the scammers' plot.

In one such case, Prem Chand and his wife, residents of Panchkula, got a call from an unknown foreign number. Their nephew is studying in Canada. The scammer posed as his nephew over the phone and claimed that he had a fight with someone during the party. He further said that the person got injured in the fight and if he is not treated, Canadian Police will take action against Chand's nephew. The scammer then demanded urgent money from them. The Panchkula family sent Rs 7.5 lakh in three installments. However, when they realized that they had been cheated, Prem Chand lodged a complaint on the 1930 and swift action by the police helped him get back 2.5 lakh.

According to police, scammers find their victims by connecting on social media platforms and then they collect information to carry out the crime in a planned manner.

A similar incident happened to Kaithal resident Sahib Singh who got a call from a scammer posing as a Canadian lawyer. The scammer promised him to resolve his ongoing case and thus demanded advance payments which Singh paid. Singh also complained on helpline number 1930 and got saved Rs 90 thousand.

Such cases are gaining prominence in Haryana and Punjab. Police appealed to the people to not make payments to any number before verifying facts. The police also asked the residents to not respond to calls received from foreign numbers demanding money.