Fake customer care helpline rackets move from Google to social media

Mumbai: Customer care number scams – fake contact numbers of customer care helplines of popular institutions on the internet – have been around for years on Google. A recent study by CloudSEK, a Bengaluru-based cybersecurity research firm, has now found that such scamsters are moving away from Google to social messaging platforms to hook victims more effectively.

According to the study, fake customer care numbers are posted on the internet and on social media to lure customers of institutions like banks, e-commerce portals and even hospitals. When the victims call these numbers, they are duped into revealing their netbanking or card details, leading to their bank accounts being cleaned out. The scam, which started with wine shops, has today diversified to banks, hospitals and other commercial establishments.