Your Helpful Attitude and You Easily Get Scammed

There are some people who see someone in trouble and get ready to help them. But because of this attitude of yours, you can easily get scammed and to execute this scam, you yourself give your phone to the scammer on your own free will and your hard-earned money gets withdrawn from your bank account. Let us know how all this happens and why?

How You Easily Get Scammed

These days many videos are running on many social media platforms about “How you easily get into trap in scam”. In this, a fraudster tells you his problem at a public place and confuses you with his words and asks you for your phone to make an urgent call. He also tells that his phone’s battery is dead or there is no balance in his mobile to make calls. After hearing all this, you give the phone to him and within a few minutes of giving the phone, you easily get into trap in scam.

Why You Easily Get Scammed

Firstly, your helping attitude is largely responsible for this. Now let’s talk about why you easily fall into trap. When you give your phone to the scammer, the first thing he (or she) does is dial a series of numbers instead of codes in your mobile to make you think he (or she) is calling someone. While this fraudster is forwarding your call to some other number (his/her or any hacker’s number) due to which he (or she) can get your OTP and bank related calls and steal your money from your bank account.

We know that OTP never forward to another mobile under any circumstances but calls related to bank are easily may forwarded to another number. So, if OTP comes through IVR or voice call that can easily forwarded to another number and you easily get into trap.

How call forwarding works on Smartphones

These days all phones (iPhone or Android) come with call forwarding feature. You can also enable it by going to the advanced call setting of the phone’s setting. After enabling this, you need an alternate number on which you want to forward your calls. As soon as you enter that alternate number, your incoming calls (all calls or when busy or switched off or not reachable, the option you have chosen) will start coming to your alternate number.

Why Fraudster Can’t Trace OTP Easily

OTP comes only on the registered mobile number so it is difficult to trace it. Hackers have to take complete control of mobile or physically very close to you to get OTP which is a bit difficult task. It is also very difficult to change the registered number linked with the bank online.

For changing registered number, you have to personally visit the bank. Then you have to complete the KYC details. After this your registered number will change but hacker can never do this while visiting bank at any cost. We all know that OTP fraud also happens, but in this case the user himself gives his OTP to the hacker.

How to Avoid Easily Get Scammed

• Never give your phone to unknown people. If necessary, you dial the number, then give it to him/her and be always present before him/her.
• Never dial a number starting with hash “#” or “*” (Hash or Star).
• Never click on suspicious links on SMS, emails and messages received on social media accounts.
• Never reveal your OTP to anyone who is not very close to you.
• Always keep in mind that the bank should never ask you for your OTP or other things over the phone. They already have your record. Please don’t answer if someone asks.
• Avoid saving passwords on mobile.
• Enable auto lock feature on your phone if not using more than 1 minutes.  

Keep all points in your mind always to save yourself from any scam.

Conclusion

Protecting yourself from fraud is your top priority. Always be aware of the tactics of scammers such as phishing emails, fake websites, and unsolicited phone calls. Along with understanding this, you also have to adopt some best practices such as not giving your phone to any unknown person, not giving OTP received on your phone to anyone, not sharing personal information with unknown entities, verifying the authenticity of requests, avoid poor password management and always use secure online platforms. Take care of all these, then your helping attitude never land you in trouble and you will be safe always.

Twitter