On Gravitas Plus with Molly Gambhir: 
The rising menace of online romance and dating app scams. What are the signs to watch out for? How can you protect yourself?

Online romance & dating app scams | How can you protect yourself? 

And nine people have been sentenced to prison in China for their roles in a telecom fraud ring that duped over 66,000 Indians. The scammers used fake investment platforms and identities to target the victims. In just over 7 months, more than 66,800 Indians were duped with losses totaling 517 million rupees, which is equivalent to 6.2 million US dollars.

Chinese online fraud: Over 66,800 Indians duped; $6.2 million scammed

Hundreds of Chinese workers started to arrive home on Thursday after being freed from online scam centres in Myanmar, as authorities crack down on the cyber fraud industry.

Myanmar deports Chinese scam centre workers

Cyber slavery has entrapped thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of Indians in Southeast Asia, where they're forced to work for online scammers targetting Indians at home and defrauding millions of dollars from them. Now the Indian government is cracking down on this new cyber crime.

Measures taken by the country's telecom ministry include disconnecting 21.7 million mobile phone connections as well as blocking some 226,000 handsets.

Watch: Financial fraud top cybercrime in India

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An inter-ministerial panel has been set up, which includes the Home Ministry, Immigration Bureau, Financial Intelligence Unit, Reserve Bank of India, Information Technology Ministry, and National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Telecom operators have been asked to block incoming international "spoofed calls" that display Indian mobile numbers. Such dropped calls form 35 per cent of the incoming international calls.

The telecom firms are also told to give data on Indian mobile numbers using roaming facilities in Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines and Myanmar, The Indian Express said in a report on Monday (Sep 30).&nbsp;

It quoted a source as saying that 600,000 such phones were roaming in the Southeast Asia region in April-June this year.&nbsp;

<h2>Could tens of thousands of Indians be working for foreign cyber fraud companies?</h2>

Meanwhile, government data shows that 29,466 of the 73,138 Indians who travelled to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam on visitor visas from January 2022 to May 2024 are yet to return.

The inter-ministerial panel has asked local governments in India to carry out thorough verifications about their backgrounds and whereabouts.

They predominantly hail from the states of Punjab (3,667), Maharashtra (3,233) and Tamil Nadu (3,124), said an Indian Express report.

Nearly 70 per cent of the 'disappeared' people had gone to Thailand from India.

<h2>Cyber slavery: 5,000 Indians are trapped in Cambodia</h2>

According to earlier Indian media reports, at least 5,000 Indians were trapped in Cambodia, the main centre of cyber slavery in Southeast Asia. Many of them had gone there thinking they were joining legitimate firms but were forced to engage in various cyber crimes.

Many of these crimes target Indians back home, often extorting money to the tune of more than 5 billion rupees. 
 
According to Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre data, 45 per cent of cyber crimes targeting Indians originate in Southeast Asia. Around 100,000 complaints have been registered with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal since January 2023.

There have been several reports this year about Indians complaining about being trapped in Southeast Asian countries, being held against their will, or being rescued by government agencies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttarakhand-cyber-crime-india-us-authorities-work-together-to-uncover-36mn-fraud-716680">Also read: Uttarakhand cyber crime: India, US authorities work together to uncover $36mn fraud</a>

In May, the government reported that 360 Indians working as cyber slaves in Cambodia were repatriated in the previous five months.

In August, it was reported that more than 1,000 people from the southern state of Tamil Nadu who went to Southeast Asian countries like&nbsp;Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos were possibly working as cyber slaves. Other origin states include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi.&nbsp;

In the same month, 47 Indians who were forced to run dating app scams were rescued in Laos.

Hundreds of them have been rescued so far by the Indian government or international organisations and NGOs.

<h2>What is cyber slavery?</h2>

According to the CyberPeace Foundation, cyber slavery is a modern form of slavery "that begins with online deception and evolves into physical human trafficking."

"It can take many different forms, such as coercive involvement in cybercrime, forced employment in online frauds, exploitation in the gig economy, or involuntary slavery."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cambodia-telecom-scam-gangs-traffic-taiwanese-push-them-into-cyber-slavery-509374">Also read: Cambodia: Telecom scam gangs traffic Taiwanese, push them into cyber slavery</a>

Indians were 'selected' for high-paying jobs, only to be forced to work 16 hours a day under severe conditions.&nbsp;

The illegal online work they are forced into includes money laundering, cryptocurrency fraud and dating/ love scams.&nbsp;

<h2>Cyber slavery modus operandi</h2>

According to Indian media reports, Indians from various states aged in their 20s and 30s are lured by cyber criminals for data entry jobs. Once they land in countries like Cambodia and Laos, their passports are taken away by these companies and then they are forced to make cyberfraud calls, mainly targeting Indians back home. &nbsp;

Many of these calls involve the online equivalent of honey trapping. The scammers ask the Indians to create fake social media profiles of women. The frauds range from cryptocurrency investments to dating.

Once the victims deposit money, they are ghosted and their numbers blocked.

(With inputs from agencies)

Cyber slavery has entrapped thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of Indians in Southeast Asia, where they're forced to work for online scammers targetting Indians at home and defrauding millions of dollars from them.

Cyber slavery has entrapped thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of Indians in Southeast Asia, where they're forced to work for online scammers targetting Indians at home and defrauding millions of dollars from them. Now the Indian government is cracking down on this new cyber crime. Measures taken by the country's telecom ministry include disconnecting 21.7 million mobile phone connections as well as blocking some 226,000 handsets. Watch: Financial fraud top cybercrime in India × An inter-ministerial panel has been set up, which includes the Home Ministry, Immigration Bureau, Financial Intelligence Unit, Reserve Bank of India, Information Technology Ministry, and National Investigation Agency (NIA). Telecom operators have been asked to block incoming international "spoofed calls" that display Indian mobile numbers. Such dropped calls form 35 per cent of the incoming international calls. The telecom firms are also told to give data on Indian mobile numbers using roaming facilities in Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines and Myanmar, The Indian Express said in a report on Monday (Sep 30). It quoted a source as saying that 600,000 such phones were roaming in the Southeast Asia region in April-June this year. Could tens of thousands of Indians be working for foreign cyber fraud companies? Meanwhile, government data shows that 29,466 of the 73,138 Indians who travelled to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam on visitor visas from January 2022 to May 2024 are yet to return. The inter-ministerial panel has asked local governments in India to carry out thorough verifications about their backgrounds and whereabouts. They predominantly hail from the states of Punjab (3,667), Maharashtra (3,233) and Tamil Nadu (3,124), said an Indian Express report. Nearly 70 per cent of the 'disappeared' people had gone to Thailand from India. Cyber slavery: 5,000 Indians are trapped in Cambodia According to earlier Indian media reports, at least 5,000 Indians were trapped in Cambodia, the main centre of cyber slavery in Southeast Asia. Many of them had gone there thinking they were joining legitimate firms but were forced to engage in various cyber crimes. Many of these crimes target Indians back home, often extorting money to the tune of more than 5 billion rupees. According to Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre data, 45 per cent of cyber crimes targeting Indians originate in Southeast Asia. Around 100,000 complaints have been registered with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal since January 2023. There have been several reports this year about Indians complaining about being trapped in Southeast Asian countries, being held against their will, or being rescued by government agencies. Also read: Uttarakhand cyber crime: India, US authorities work together to uncover $36mn fraud In May, the government reported that 360 Indians working as cyber slaves in Cambodia were repatriated in the previous five months. In August, it was reported that more than 1,000 people from the southern state of Tamil Nadu who went to Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos were possibly working as cyber slaves. Other origin states include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi. In the same month, 47 Indians who were forced to run dating app scams were rescued in Laos. Hundreds of them have been rescued so far by the Indian government or international organisations and NGOs. What is cyber slavery? According to the CyberPeace Foundation, cyber slavery is a modern form of slavery "that begins with online deception and evolves into physical human trafficking." "It can take many different forms, such as coercive involvement in cybercrime, forced employment in online frauds, exploitation in the gig economy, or involuntary slavery." Also read: Cambodia: Telecom scam gangs traffic Taiwanese, push them into cyber slavery Indians were 'selected' for high-paying jobs, only to be forced to work 16 hours a day under severe conditions. The illegal online work they are forced into includes money laundering, cryptocurrency fraud and dating/ love scams. Cyber slavery modus operandi According to Indian media reports, Indians from various states aged in their 20s and 30s are lured by cyber criminals for data entry jobs. Once they land in countries like Cambodia and Laos, their passports are taken away by these companies and then they are forced to make cyberfraud calls, mainly targeting Indians back home. Many of these calls involve the online equivalent of honey trapping. The scammers ask the Indians to create fake social media profiles of women. The frauds range from cryptocurrency investments to dating. Once the victims deposit money, they are ghosted and their numbers blocked. (With inputs from agencies)

Cyber slavery: Thousands of Indians are trapped and tens of thousands have gone missing in Southeast Asia

On Tech It Out, we continue to alert you about online scams that can drain your bank account. In this report, we explore the latest fraud designed to deceive people.

Indians losing money to new cyber fraud

Amid the Lok Sabha elections in India, citizens who fell prey to job scams in Cambodia are demanding more jobs. Over the past few months, news of Indians being rescued from online cryptocurrency scam rings has come to light.&nbsp;

These Indian citizens, as per reports, were duped into travelling abroad by promises of salaries much higher than what they could get in their home country.

<h2>'Quick money dreams'</h2>

Even as India boasts of one of the fastest-growing economies, the nation has failed to offer jobs&nbsp;and accommodate its large youth population.&nbsp;This, experts warn, creates a fertile ground for scammers to use social media to lure young people to travel abroad for jobs.

In a conversation with the Thompson Reuters Foundation, Dhanya Menon, managing director of Avanzo Cyber Security Solutions in India, explained that "Youngsters feel there are better offers abroad. They get so tempted by the sum offered they don't do any kind of cross-checking."

"They chase the quick money dream," he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/centre-recommends-increase-in-reservation-quota-for-obcs-in-public-employment-in-punjab-west-bengal-722057">Centre recommends increase in reservation quota for OBCs in public employment in Punjab, West Bengal</a>

A United Nations report showed that last year, more than 100,000 people globally were trafficked into online scam centres in Cambodia.

Every year, thousands of people, most of them with technical skills, get lured by advertisements on social media platforms promising well-paid jobs in countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. More often than not, they find themselves forced to be a part of scams to fraud strangers worldwide via the internet.

In conversation with Thompson Reuters Foundation, a victim of the scam, a 41-year-old man, identified only as Sahu revealed that he was offered the chance to earn $900 a month in Vietnam as a data entry operator with free meals and accommodation last June. The man who was earning only a fraction of this in India jumped at the opportunity.

"I started imagining a great future," he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mumbai-hoarding-collapse-billboard-owner-bhavesh-bhinde-arrested-from-udaipur-722219">Mumbai hoarding collapse: Billboard owner Bhavesh Bhinde arrested from Udaipur</a>

"Even though my family members insisted I shouldn't go, I felt relieved when I got this offer," said Sahu. He revealed that he hoped it would help him to pay off his debts of 350,000 rupees ($4,190).

Once he arrived in Vietnam, he was smuggled into neighbouring Cambodia. His passport was taken from him, and he was lodged in a tiny room, where he was given food only once a day and was forced to scam people online.

(With inputs from agencies)

Amid the Lok Sabha elections in India, citizens who fell prey to job scams in Cambodia are demanding more jobs. Over the past few months, news of Indians being rescued from online cryptocurrency scam rings has come to light.

Amid the Lok Sabha elections in India, citizens who fell prey to job scams in Cambodia are demanding more jobs. Over the past few months, news of Indians being rescued from online cryptocurrency scam rings has come to light. These Indian citizens, as per reports, were duped into travelling abroad by promises of salaries much higher than what they could get in their home country. 'Quick money dreams' Even as India boasts of one of the fastest-growing economies, the nation has failed to offer jobs and accommodate its large youth population. This, experts warn, creates a fertile ground for scammers to use social media to lure young people to travel abroad for jobs. In a conversation with the Thompson Reuters Foundation, Dhanya Menon, managing director of Avanzo Cyber Security Solutions in India, explained that "Youngsters feel there are better offers abroad. They get so tempted by the sum offered they don't do any kind of cross-checking." "They chase the quick money dream," he added. Also read | Centre recommends increase in reservation quota for OBCs in public employment in Punjab, West Bengal A United Nations report showed that last year, more than 100,000 people globally were trafficked into online scam centres in Cambodia. Every year, thousands of people, most of them with technical skills, get lured by advertisements on social media platforms promising well-paid jobs in countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. More often than not, they find themselves forced to be a part of scams to fraud strangers worldwide via the internet. In conversation with Thompson Reuters Foundation, a victim of the scam, a 41-year-old man, identified only as Sahu revealed that he was offered the chance to earn $900 a month in Vietnam as a data entry operator with free meals and accommodation last June. The man who was earning only a fraction of this in India jumped at the opportunity. "I started imagining a great future," he said. Also read | Mumbai hoarding collapse: Billboard owner Bhavesh Bhinde arrested from Udaipur "Even though my family members insisted I shouldn't go, I felt relieved when I got this offer," said Sahu. He revealed that he hoped it would help him to pay off his debts of 350,000 rupees ($4,190). Once he arrived in Vietnam, he was smuggled into neighbouring Cambodia. His passport was taken from him, and he was lodged in a tiny room, where he was given food only once a day and was forced to scam people online. (With inputs from agencies)

As Indians chasing 'quick money dream' fall prey to scams, experts call for job creation at home

More than 800,000 people in Europe and the US appear to have been duped into sharing card details and other sensitive personal data with a vast network of fake online designer shops apparently operated from China.

Gravitas | Chinese network behind one of world's 'largest online scams'

Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Monday it had issued an unprecedented alert to hundreds of thousands of education professionals over an increase in cases of financially motivated sexual extortion, including in schools.

UK crime agency alerts teachers on "sextortion" after rise in cases

An online romance scam in a small Spanish town led to the murders of three elderly siblings. The suspect in the case, a Pakistani-origin man turned himself in and confessed that he murdered the three siblings as they were unable to pay their debt.&nbsp;

The bodies of the three siblings- Amelia, 67, Ángeles, 74, and José Gutiérrez Ayuso, 77, were found at their home last week. They had been partially burned.

The horrifying incident took place in a town of Madrid called Morata de Tajuna. The Spanish Police are currently investigating the case and the circumstances under which the siblings would have been murdered.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-elections-2024-very-sharp-donald-trump-shed-weight-the-hard-way-683154">US elections 2024: 'Very sharp' Donald Trump shed weight 'the hard way'</a>

<h2>What is the whole case of the Spanish triple murder?</h2>

As per neighbours and friends of the siblings, Amelia and Angeles were dating two men online whom they supposedly called their fiancés. The third sibling Ayuso was not involved in any such online relationship, but all three of them used to live together.

As per local media, Amelia and Angeles used to claim that they had been engaged online for several years with these men, who they believed were in the US Army.&nbsp;

The siblings used to send money online to these men and as per reports, the two women had sent up to €400,000 ($436,232) to a man they knew as ‘Edward’. &nbsp;Ayuso, who had a mental disability, was not involved in the sending of the money.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-at-un-slammed-for-human-rights-abuses-repression-of-democracy-in-hong-kong-683162">China at UN slammed for human rights abuses, repression of democracy in Hong Kong</a>

These relationships exhausted the siblings’ finances, forcing sisters to ask local people for money and ask for help from informal moneylenders. &nbsp;As per Spain’s ABC newspaper, they even asked the mayor and priest of the town for money. 
 
Hussain knew the siblings when he lived in their home as a lodger for several months. He told police that the sisters owed him a large sum of money which he had given them as a high-interest loan, but they never paid him back.&nbsp;

Hussain accepted that he first attacked Amelia twice with a hammer in February 2023, after which he was sentenced to two years in jail. But he was released after seven months last September.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/la-times-layoffs-115-journalists-over-zoom-call-amid-financial-turmoil-683163">LA Times layoffs 115 journalists over 'Zoom call' amid financial turmoil</a>

Police entered the home of the three siblings on Thursday after neighbours said they had not seen or heard from them for several weeks.

Neighbours said that even their bank warned them of a possible online scam&nbsp;but they were not ready to hear the word ‘scam’.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

An online romance scam in a small Spanish town led to the murders of three elderly siblings. The suspect in the case, a Pakistani-origin man turned himself in and confessed that he murdered the three siblings as they were unable to pay their debt.

An online romance scam in a small Spanish town led to the murders of three elderly siblings. The suspect in the case, a Pakistani-origin man turned himself in and confessed that he murdered the three siblings as they were unable to pay their debt. The bodies of the three siblings- Amelia, 67, Ángeles, 74, and José Gutiérrez Ayuso, 77, were found at their home last week. They had been partially burned. The horrifying incident took place in a town of Madrid called Morata de Tajuna. The Spanish Police are currently investigating the case and the circumstances under which the siblings would have been murdered. Also Read | US elections 2024: 'Very sharp' Donald Trump shed weight 'the hard way' What is the whole case of the Spanish triple murder? As per neighbours and friends of the siblings, Amelia and Angeles were dating two men online whom they supposedly called their fiancés. The third sibling Ayuso was not involved in any such online relationship, but all three of them used to live together. As per local media, Amelia and Angeles used to claim that they had been engaged online for several years with these men, who they believed were in the US Army. The siblings used to send money online to these men and as per reports, the two women had sent up to €400,000 ($436,232) to a man they knew as ‘Edward’. Ayuso, who had a mental disability, was not involved in the sending of the money. Also Read | China at UN slammed for human rights abuses, repression of democracy in Hong Kong These relationships exhausted the siblings’ finances, forcing sisters to ask local people for money and ask for help from informal moneylenders. As per Spain’s ABC newspaper, they even asked the mayor and priest of the town for money. Hussain knew the siblings when he lived in their home as a lodger for several months. He told police that the sisters owed him a large sum of money which he had given them as a high-interest loan, but they never paid him back. Hussain accepted that he first attacked Amelia twice with a hammer in February 2023, after which he was sentenced to two years in jail. But he was released after seven months last September. Also Read | LA Times layoffs 115 journalists over 'Zoom call' amid financial turmoil Police entered the home of the three siblings on Thursday after neighbours said they had not seen or heard from them for several weeks. Neighbours said that even their bank warned them of a possible online scam but they were not ready to hear the word ‘scam’. (With inputs from agencies)

Spanish triple murder: What is online ‘love scam’ that led to killings, Pakistani-origin man’s arrest?

An online fraud scheme run via WhatsApp link and a fraudulent app fuelled by a rumours promising substantial profits from buying virtual animals, like pigs, ducks etc., has cost hundreds of thousands of rupees to villagers in India's state of Bihar. As reported by Boom Decode, the scheme had lured people to invest&nbsp;in pigs and other livestock online through a game, with the expectation of high returns.&nbsp;

Here's all you need to know:

<h2>How it all started</h2>

The origins of the online scam can be traced back to a WhatsApp message that circulated in Bihar, claiming that purchasing animals online could yield profits of up to thousands of rupees within a few months. The message propagated the idea that an online game called ‘Smile Rancher’ helped a middle-aged man win big by "investing" in the online purchase of livestock. As per the claims, the man won INR 20 lakh or $2 million.

<h2>The scheme</h2>

The report quotes an 18-year-old victim of the scheme,&nbsp;Suraj Kumar who revealed that people had to create an account by entering a six-digit password. Once that was done, they would find pictures of dozens of animals which they could buy.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bird-flu-fowls-the-mood-kills-nearly-9000-marine-creatures-in-chile-france-develops-vaccine-for-ducks-596812">Bird flu 'fowls' the mood, kills nearly 9,000 marine creatures in Chile, France develops vaccine for ducks</a>

After paying for the purchase, all they had to do was log in everyday and click on the animal. This would result in them getting paid a certain amount in the app's wallet.

"The most expensive was the peacock, which cost Rs 50,000. It would earn Rs 3,000 a day. Duck was the cheapest one which cost Rs 5,000 rupees, the app claimed to offer Rs 400 for it every day," said Kumar.

"One had to log in every day and click on the animal or bird that was bought. The earnings on the animals would come in the wallet of the account which was created in the app," he added.

<h2>Could this money be withdrawn?</h2>

Yes, but most times people would receive a server error.

The maximum limit for withdrawal from the application wallet was Rs&nbsp;3000,&nbsp;however, people who purchased and bred these virtual animals said they would very often get error messages on attempting to withdraw money.

However, some people successfully withdrew small amounts of money. This only helped give people false hope.&nbsp;

As the word spread, more individuals became interested in investing and many people borrowed money or sold assets to enter the market.&nbsp;

But one day the app just stopped working.

<h2>Who owns ‘Smile Rancher’ and why haven’t app stores like Google Play Store or Apple App Store taken any action?</h2>

As per transaction details accessed by Decode, the money people would spend on these virtual animals would go to the account of Sewing SKY India Pvt Limited — an unlisted company which according to the Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs website deals in fabrics and is registered in Telangana Hyderabad and belongs to Gangadhar Pathri and Ajay Kumar Pathri.

Application stores like Google Play Store or the Apple AppStore have been unable to take any action because the application is not available on these platforms. People downloaded the application via a specific link shared on WhatsApp.

The app is now defunct.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cocaine-price-crash-a-blow-for-colombian-coca-growers-596786">Cocaine price crash a blow for Colombian coca growers</a>

<h2>Who sent them the message?</h2>

As per the villagers, a man called Bhishma Pratap&nbsp;spread these rumours. They say that Pratap claimed that his uncle was the one who won Rs 20,00,000 ($24,190).

For those interested in earning extra money, Pratap created a WhatsApp group named "Ranchers no. 1".&nbsp;As the admin of the group, he started adding more and more villagers, he then sent the forwarded application&nbsp;link to the group, which had more than 60 members. Pratap left the group the same day the application stopped working.

<h2>How did so many people fall for the scam?</h2>

The application called itself a "breeding management investment company from the United States."&nbsp;

It noted that was involved in "offline investment promotion for major breeding pastures and looking for investors who work part-time in the breeding industry".

It further claimed that after 2020, i.e., the pandemic, the company&nbsp;started doing its business online and started seeking people from all over the world to join the breeding industry and "make money together".

For residents of the small Bihar village of Maulanagar, this seemed like a good idea to earn some extra money. Most of the village residents belong to a socially marginalised community called the Musahars.

<h2>Has anyone filed a complaint?</h2>

Kasim Khan, a self-proclaimed victim of the scam, reportedly took action against the fraudulent company by filing a complaint with the Consumer Complaints Court on July 22nd 2022. In his complaint, Khan stated that he had invested Rs 55,000 in&nbsp;the scheme and attempted to withdraw the amount after two days, but was unsuccessful despite multiple attempts. He alleges that the company, Breeding Management, had now ceased operations and had deceived thousands of individuals through their online scam.&nbsp;

<h2>Was it just the one Bihar village that got duped?</h2>

Unfortunately no, the app has reportedly spread far from Bihar and has reached Assam.&nbsp;

The people of the small Bihar village got duped in February 2022, and in early July last year, a gym trainer in Guwahati Assam also received the link to that game. He and his colleagues invested in the app and lost thousands of rupees.

(With inputs from agencies)

 
 
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An online fraud scheme run via WhatsApp link and a fraudulent app fuelled by a rumours promising substantial profits from buying virtual animals, like pigs, ducks etc.

An online fraud scheme run via WhatsApp link and a fraudulent app fuelled by a rumours promising substantial profits from buying virtual animals, like pigs, ducks etc., has cost hundreds of thousands of rupees to villagers in India's state of Bihar. As reported by Boom Decode, the scheme had lured people to invest in pigs and other livestock online through a game, with the expectation of high returns. Here's all you need to know: How it all started The origins of the online scam can be traced back to a WhatsApp message that circulated in Bihar, claiming that purchasing animals online could yield profits of up to thousands of rupees within a few months. The message propagated the idea that an online game called ‘Smile Rancher’ helped a middle-aged man win big by "investing" in the online purchase of livestock. As per the claims, the man won INR 20 lakh or $2 million. The scheme The report quotes an 18-year-old victim of the scheme, Suraj Kumar who revealed that people had to create an account by entering a six-digit password. Once that was done, they would find pictures of dozens of animals which they could buy. Also read | Bird flu 'fowls' the mood, kills nearly 9,000 marine creatures in Chile, France develops vaccine for ducks After paying for the purchase, all they had to do was log in everyday and click on the animal. This would result in them getting paid a certain amount in the app's wallet. "The most expensive was the peacock, which cost Rs 50,000. It would earn Rs 3,000 a day. Duck was the cheapest one which cost Rs 5,000 rupees, the app claimed to offer Rs 400 for it every day," said Kumar. "One had to log in every day and click on the animal or bird that was bought. The earnings on the animals would come in the wallet of the account which was created in the app," he added. Could this money be withdrawn? Yes, but most times people would receive a server error. The maximum limit for withdrawal from the application wallet was Rs 3000, however, people who purchased and bred these virtual animals said they would very often get error messages on attempting to withdraw money. However, some people successfully withdrew small amounts of money. This only helped give people false hope. As the word spread, more individuals became interested in investing and many people borrowed money or sold assets to enter the market. But one day the app just stopped working. Who owns ‘Smile Rancher’ and why haven’t app stores like Google Play Store or Apple App Store taken any action? As per transaction details accessed by Decode, the money people would spend on these virtual animals would go to the account of Sewing SKY India Pvt Limited — an unlisted company which according to the Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs website deals in fabrics and is registered in Telangana Hyderabad and belongs to Gangadhar Pathri and Ajay Kumar Pathri. Application stores like Google Play Store or the Apple AppStore have been unable to take any action because the application is not available on these platforms. People downloaded the application via a specific link shared on WhatsApp. The app is now defunct. Also read | Cocaine price crash a blow for Colombian coca growers Who sent them the message? As per the villagers, a man called Bhishma Pratap spread these rumours. They say that Pratap claimed that his uncle was the one who won Rs 20,00,000 ($24,190). For those interested in earning extra money, Pratap created a WhatsApp group named "Ranchers no. 1". As the admin of the group, he started adding more and more villagers, he then sent the forwarded application link to the group, which had more than 60 members. Pratap left the group the same day the application stopped working. How did so many people fall for the scam? The application called itself a "breeding management investment company from the United States." It noted that was involved in "offline investment promotion for major breeding pastures and looking for investors who work part-time in the breeding industry". It further claimed that after 2020, i.e., the pandemic, the company started doing its business online and started seeking people from all over the world to join the breeding industry and "make money together". For residents of the small Bihar village of Maulanagar, this seemed like a good idea to earn some extra money. Most of the village residents belong to a socially marginalised community called the Musahars. Has anyone filed a complaint? Kasim Khan, a self-proclaimed victim of the scam, reportedly took action against the fraudulent company by filing a complaint with the Consumer Complaints Court on July 22nd 2022. In his complaint, Khan stated that he had invested Rs 55,000 in the scheme and attempted to withdraw the amount after two days, but was unsuccessful despite multiple attempts. He alleges that the company, Breeding Management, had now ceased operations and had deceived thousands of individuals through their online scam. Was it just the one Bihar village that got duped? Unfortunately no, the app has reportedly spread far from Bihar and has reached Assam. The people of the small Bihar village got duped in February 2022, and in early July last year, a gym trainer in Guwahati Assam also received the link to that game. He and his colleagues invested in the app and lost thousands of rupees. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. 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Explained | ‘Smile Rancher’ makes people cry. All you need to know about the latest online scam

A scammer impersonating as a&nbsp;Maharashtra narcotics division employee scammed a Delhi doctor into paying Rs 4.47 crore ($ 548K).&nbsp;The scamster told the 34-year-old woman that a huge amount of MDMA drug had been discovered in a FedEx delivery associated with her.

Then members of the cyber criminal gang posed as officers from the Andheri police station, RBI officials, a DCP from Mumbai Police, customs sleuths, and Narcotics division detectives to swindle money from the victim.&nbsp;

As per&nbsp;a TOI report, Delhi Police filed a FIR against the scammers and launched a technical investigation.&nbsp;

Notably, it is being reported as Delhi's largest cyber crime, which began with a phone call to the victim. The crooks told the woman doctor that her FedEx shipment had been confiscated as it has MDMS drug.&nbsp;

The caller instructed her to submit a report with the Andheri police station, and the policemen told her to file the case online because the victim was in Delhi. She was instructed to download the Skype application.&nbsp;

A woman purporting to be Inspector Patil communicated with the victim over Skype and spoke with someone else about validating her Aadhaar ID. According to report, the victim overheard a conversation in which her ID was used to create 23 bank accounts in Mumbai and was flagged for money laundering.&nbsp;

Following that, she was asked to produce photographs of her bank accounts with the balances and to provide her whole financial information. On the callers' directions, the victim got caught in&nbsp;their web of lies and even broke her fixed deposits for verification.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-congress-leader-siddaramaiah-takes-oath-as-karnatakas-new-cm-dk-shivakumar-his-deputy-594399">India: Congress leader Siddaramaiah takes oath as Karnataka’s new CM, DK Shivakumar his deputy</a>

Another police officer instructed her to fill up RTGS papers, and other authorities posing as RBI personnel, as well as the Mumbai Narcotics Division officials, joined the cyber fraud and stole Rs 4.47 crore&nbsp;($548K)&nbsp;from the doctor.&nbsp;

<h2>More than 500 apps blocked over cyber fraud, spoofing concerns</h2>

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced last month&nbsp;that the Union Home Ministry had identified over 500 apps that were being used in India for spoofing and fraud.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;G7 Hiroshima Meet 2023: PM Modi meets Ukraine Prez Zelensky for first time since Russian invasion

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"The apps have been blocked on Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre's&nbsp;(I4C) recommendations due to security reasons and action has been taken as per law,"&nbsp;Shah said, while reviewing the working of the&nbsp;cyber crime centre&nbsp;at NDCC Bhawan in Delhi.

The unit prepared an analytical report on the top 50 cyber attacks' modes of operation and shared data with states. This unit is also looking into the AIIMS cyber attack.

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A scammer impersonating as a Maharashtra narcotics division employee scammed a Delhi doctor into paying Rs 4.47 crore ($ 548K). The scamster told the 34-year-old woman that a huge amount of MDMA drug had been discovered in a FedEx delivery associated with her.

A scammer impersonating as a Maharashtra narcotics division employee scammed a Delhi doctor into paying Rs 4.47 crore ($ 548K). The scamster told the 34-year-old woman that a huge amount of MDMA drug had been discovered in a FedEx delivery associated with her. Then members of the cyber criminal gang posed as officers from the Andheri police station, RBI officials, a DCP from Mumbai Police, customs sleuths, and Narcotics division detectives to swindle money from the victim. As per a TOI report, Delhi Police filed a FIR against the scammers and launched a technical investigation. Notably, it is being reported as Delhi's largest cyber crime, which began with a phone call to the victim. The crooks told the woman doctor that her FedEx shipment had been confiscated as it has MDMS drug. The caller instructed her to submit a report with the Andheri police station, and the policemen told her to file the case online because the victim was in Delhi. She was instructed to download the Skype application. A woman purporting to be Inspector Patil communicated with the victim over Skype and spoke with someone else about validating her Aadhaar ID. According to report, the victim overheard a conversation in which her ID was used to create 23 bank accounts in Mumbai and was flagged for money laundering. Following that, she was asked to produce photographs of her bank accounts with the balances and to provide her whole financial information. On the callers' directions, the victim got caught in their web of lies and even broke her fixed deposits for verification. ALSO READ | India: Congress leader Siddaramaiah takes oath as Karnataka’s new CM, DK Shivakumar his deputy Another police officer instructed her to fill up RTGS papers, and other authorities posing as RBI personnel, as well as the Mumbai Narcotics Division officials, joined the cyber fraud and stole Rs 4.47 crore ($548K) from the doctor. More than 500 apps blocked over cyber fraud, spoofing concerns Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced last month that the Union Home Ministry had identified over 500 apps that were being used in India for spoofing and fraud. ALSO WATCH | G7 Hiroshima Meet 2023: PM Modi meets Ukraine Prez Zelensky for first time since Russian invasion "The apps have been blocked on Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre's (I4C) recommendations due to security reasons and action has been taken as per law," Shah said, while reviewing the working of the cyber crime centre at NDCC Bhawan in Delhi. The unit prepared an analytical report on the top 50 cyber attacks' modes of operation and shared data with states. This unit is also looking into the AIIMS cyber attack. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Delhi’s ‘biggest cyber fraud’: Doctor duped of Rs 4.5 crore ($548K) via Skype calls

A new financial scam has been unearthed in which scamsters are exploiting the Twitter Blue service to dupe users, which once again shows the downside of distributing the blue checkmark to anyone who is willing to pay for it.

A new financial scam has been unearthed in which scamsters are exploiting the Twitter Blue service to dupe users, which once again shows the downside of distributing the blue checkmark to anyone who is willing to pay for it. Twitter users are being targetted by crooks impersonating banks or banking officials, according to a New York Post report. When a user posts a complaint related to their bank account by tagging the bank (say @ICICI or @Wellsfargo), the scammer posing as the customer service representative approaches them. The scamster usually quote tweets the original tweet and gives a helpline number to the user. Once the customer takes the bait and calls on the number, the scammer manages to collect private information such as login credentials to access the user's bank account. Thanks to Elon Musk's newly launched Twitter Blue subscription service, scammers are able to buy the blue checkmark and trick customers into believing that the particular Twitter account is the legit and official handle of the company. ALSO READ | Twitter to make its code used for recommending tweets public, says Elon Musk With Musk announcing the removal of legacy checkmarks soon, the companies will have to quickly apply for Twitter Blue or risk letting customers fall prey to such elaborate scams yet again. This is not the first instance where Twitter has been used by pranksters and scammers. Last year, after the rollout of the blue checkmark subscription service, a Twitter user impersonating basketball player LeBron James demanded a trade from NBA franchise Los Angeles Lakers. Similarly, American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly lost billions after its stock plunged following a tweet by a fake, verified account posing as the company. The account tweeted that Eli Lilly, one of the largest producers of insulin in the world was selling it for free. Before the error was rectified, over $15 billion in market cap was erased. WATCH | Elon Musk: Twitter will charge $8 per month for Blue Tick × “We apologise to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account. Our official Twitter account is @LillyPad," the company said in a clarification statement later. Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last year but soon found out that the company was red in most financial metrics. To drive up the revenue, Musk launched the $8 verification system which has received a mixed response so far. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Scammers using Twitter Blue tick to steal bank passwords. Here’s how the scam works

Cambodia forced to operate online scams to line their captors' pockets. Victims were trafficked, beaten and locked up if the refused todo the job. They were lured by a scamming gang along with hundreds of others.

Job seeker scared of online scam operations in Cambodia

The promise of pure-bred puppies has taken the online world by storm after several incidents of puppy scams were reported across the United States.

The shocking incident emerged after Google filed a lawsuit against a conman based in Cameroon for defrauding thousands of people by “perpetrating a puppy fraud scheme to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic for personal gain.”

In the lawsuit, the giant tech company listed 20 sites as fraudulent saying that the person in Africa used several Google services in the scam.

According to the suit, the scam used "alluring photos of purebred puppies" along with "testimonials from supposedly satisfied customers" to trick the gullible victims.

It said that people paid thousands of dollars for puppies that never arrived.

The New York Times reported that scammers capitalised on people’s loneliness during lockdowns.&nbsp;

For instance, a victim was tricked into paying $700 in “electronic gift cards” to buy a puppy. After sending the gift card information through Google Voice accounts, the victim was told to pay an additional $1,500 to deliver the puppy. According to the complaint, the puppy never arrived, reports The Guardian.

Google took note of the scam after it was flagged by AARP, an interest group focusing on issues affecting people over the age of 50.

The company tracked a network of linked email addresses, voice numbers and websites that all promised puppies – with no deliveries.

In a blogpost about the lawsuit, Google says the scam disproportionately targeted older Americans, who can be more vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Federal authorities estimate older people are scammed out of $650m a year.

According to the Better Business Bureau, a non-profit organisation, 35% of all online shopping scams reported to them in 2021 were "pet scams”, reported Fox News.

Another study found that from January through October 2021, "there were 165 per cent more puppy scams in the US than during the same period in pre-pandemic 2019."

Watch |&nbsp;Attention, puppy buyers! Don't fall for pet scams online

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(With inputs from agencies)

The promise of pure-bred puppies has taken the online world by storm after several incidents of puppy scams were reported across the United States. The shocking incident emerged after Google filed a lawsuit against a conman based in Cameroon for defrauding thousands of people by “perpetrating a puppy fraud scheme to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic for personal gain.

The promise of pure-bred puppies has taken the online world by storm after several incidents of puppy scams were reported across the United States. The shocking incident emerged after Google filed a lawsuit against a conman based in Cameroon for defrauding thousands of people by “perpetrating a puppy fraud scheme to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic for personal gain.” In the lawsuit, the giant tech company listed 20 sites as fraudulent saying that the person in Africa used several Google services in the scam. According to the suit, the scam used "alluring photos of purebred puppies" along with "testimonials from supposedly satisfied customers" to trick the gullible victims. It said that people paid thousands of dollars for puppies that never arrived. The New York Times reported that scammers capitalised on people’s loneliness during lockdowns. For instance, a victim was tricked into paying $700 in “electronic gift cards” to buy a puppy. After sending the gift card information through Google Voice accounts, the victim was told to pay an additional $1,500 to deliver the puppy. According to the complaint, the puppy never arrived, reports The Guardian. Google took note of the scam after it was flagged by AARP, an interest group focusing on issues affecting people over the age of 50. The company tracked a network of linked email addresses, voice numbers and websites that all promised puppies – with no deliveries. In a blogpost about the lawsuit, Google says the scam disproportionately targeted older Americans, who can be more vulnerable to cyber attacks. Federal authorities estimate older people are scammed out of $650m a year. According to the Better Business Bureau, a non-profit organisation, 35% of all online shopping scams reported to them in 2021 were "pet scams”, reported Fox News. Another study found that from January through October 2021, "there were 165 per cent more puppy scams in the US than during the same period in pre-pandemic 2019." Watch | Attention, puppy buyers! Don't fall for pet scams online (With inputs from agencies)

Online puppy scam: People tricked into paying for canine that never arrived

With an increase in holiday season travel and online shopping, Indians are increasingly falling prey to cybercriminals, with 53.6 per cent Indians admitting that they fell victim to deceitful apps, according to a new report released by McAfee.&nbsp;

McAfee’s recent survey, ‘A Christmas Carol: Scam Edition’, highlights how the year-end festivities present a variety of threats to Indian internet users with 28.6% of Indians having lost between INR 15,000 to 20,000 to fake online retail sites.&nbsp;

The survey also revealed that 78.6 per cent of Indians have been conned by seasonal travel scams through unsolicited and malicious links considering that family vacations and travel are high on the agenda for many Indians.&nbsp;

To avoid the holiday rush, consumers tend to get careless while purchasing and booking online, falling victim to surging cyber attacks, said Venkat Krishnapur, Vice-President of Engineering and Managing Director, McAfee India.&nbsp;

“Consumers choose to beat the holiday rush by purchasing and booking online, but, as transactions surge, so do the cyber-attacks. With the sheer volume of people shopping online, they tend to get careless, carried away with discounts, and open themselves to phishing attacks, frauds, malicious websites, and viruses that aim to steal money and personal information,” said Krishnapur.&nbsp;

With a consistent increase in online shopping 56.1 per cent Indians have fallen victim to discount scams, by clicking on links that took them to a sketchy website with 35.4 per cent of Indians confessed to having been impacted by discount scams, where a malicious file was downloaded onto their device.

With scammers impersonating genuine charities, 60.7 per cent were victims of fake trusts seeking donations, while 43 per cent of Indians expressed their concerns about being scammed by these fake trusts.&nbsp;

The survey also revealed that a staggering 52.6 per cent of millennials between the age of 18 to 24 years faced the brunt of romance scams, while 60 per cent of the same age group were scammed by e-greetings.&nbsp;

Krishnapur warned Indians against the enhancing techniques of threats actors while urging users to be more mindful of potential risks.&nbsp;

“As threat actors continue to enhance their techniques and explore new creative means of theft, it is crucial that users are mindful of potential risks and undertake necessary measures to protect themselves this holiday season,” Krishnapur added.

With an increase in holiday season travel and online shopping, Indians are increasingly falling prey to cybercriminals, with 53.6 per cent Indians admitting that they fell victim to deceitful apps, according to a new report released by McAfee.

With an increase in holiday season travel and online shopping, Indians are increasingly falling prey to cybercriminals, with 53.6 per cent Indians admitting that they fell victim to deceitful apps, according to a new report released by McAfee. McAfee’s recent survey, ‘A Christmas Carol: Scam Edition’, highlights how the year-end festivities present a variety of threats to Indian internet users with 28.6% of Indians having lost between INR 15,000 to 20,000 to fake online retail sites. The survey also revealed that 78.6 per cent of Indians have been conned by seasonal travel scams through unsolicited and malicious links considering that family vacations and travel are high on the agenda for many Indians. To avoid the holiday rush, consumers tend to get careless while purchasing and booking online, falling victim to surging cyber attacks, said Venkat Krishnapur, Vice-President of Engineering and Managing Director, McAfee India. “Consumers choose to beat the holiday rush by purchasing and booking online, but, as transactions surge, so do the cyber-attacks. With the sheer volume of people shopping online, they tend to get careless, carried away with discounts, and open themselves to phishing attacks, frauds, malicious websites, and viruses that aim to steal money and personal information,” said Krishnapur. With a consistent increase in online shopping 56.1 per cent Indians have fallen victim to discount scams, by clicking on links that took them to a sketchy website with 35.4 per cent of Indians confessed to having been impacted by discount scams, where a malicious file was downloaded onto their device. With scammers impersonating genuine charities, 60.7 per cent were victims of fake trusts seeking donations, while 43 per cent of Indians expressed their concerns about being scammed by these fake trusts. The survey also revealed that a staggering 52.6 per cent of millennials between the age of 18 to 24 years faced the brunt of romance scams, while 60 per cent of the same age group were scammed by e-greetings. Krishnapur warned Indians against the enhancing techniques of threats actors while urging users to be more mindful of potential risks. “As threat actors continue to enhance their techniques and explore new creative means of theft, it is crucial that users are mindful of potential risks and undertake necessary measures to protect themselves this holiday season,” Krishnapur added.

78% of Indians fell victim to online scams this holiday season: Report

China&#39;s police have arrested 44 people over a scam which saw many as 93,000 people contribute start-up capital to &quot;unfreeze&quot; assets smuggled overseas when the Nationalist government was overthrown in 1949, police authorities said late on Thursday.

The criminal network used WeChat and other communication tools to encourage people to pay 10 yuan ($1.46) for membership in a scheme which promised returns of as much as 50,000 yuan ($7,280) once the assets were unfrozen, the Ministry of Public Security said in a notice on its website.

The ministry said that it had busted a total of 15 criminal groups involved in the scam since investigations began in October 2016. The fraud involved more than 950 million yuan ($138.34 million).

The public security ministry said earlier this month that it had already set up 32 provincial and 206 city centers dedicated to cracking down on online and telecom fraud. It said it uncovered 83,000 cases last year, up 49.6 per cent compared to 2016.

(Reuters)

The criminal network used WeChat and other communication tools to encourage people to pay

China's police have arrested 44 people over a scam which saw many as 93,000 people contribute start-up capital to "unfreeze" assets smuggled overseas when the Nationalist government was overthrown in 1949, police authorities said late on Thursday. The criminal network used WeChat and other communication tools to encourage people to pay 10 yuan ($1.46) for membership in a scheme which promised returns of as much as 50,000 yuan ($7,280) once the assets were unfrozen, the Ministry of Public Security said in a notice on its website. The ministry said that it had busted a total of 15 criminal groups involved in the scam since investigations began in October 2016. The fraud involved more than 950 million yuan ($138.34 million). The public security ministry said earlier this month that it had already set up 32 provincial and 206 city centers dedicated to cracking down on online and telecom fraud. It said it uncovered 83,000 cases last year, up 49.6 per cent compared to 2016. (Reuters)

Police arrest 44 in a $140 million online scam in China

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