Japan's Osaka Prefecture has introduced AIko, a virtual AI police chief, to combat a surge in imposter scams. Designed to reach younger audiences, AIko warns about fraudsters posing as police officers, celebrities promoting fake investments, and even romantic partners. Authorities hope the AI-powered campaign will help curb the growing wave of online scams.

Japan deploys AI police chief 'alko' to crack down on scammers 

While digital technology has provided us with a way to browse products and order them online, fraudsters seem to be taking advantage of the loopholes in the services that online shopping provides. In such an incident, an Indian online shopping brand has suffered huge losses as fraudsters exploited loopholes to dupe&nbsp;the company by claiming fake refunds.

Myntra, the Flipkart-owned fashion giant of India, discovered that it had been duped of Rs 1.1 crore ($129,600) between March and June this year after an audit was conducted. The company has lost over Rs 50 crore ($5,891,220) to scammers nationwide, TOI reported, citing a source.

According to police officials, the crooks would place bulk orders for several items available on the website like shoes, apparel, handbags, jewellery, watches, and cosmetics and make payments online or select the cash-on-delivery (COD) option.

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After receiving the order, they would raise complaints about receiving less number of products than ordered. In some cases, they would make a complaint that the product delivered was fake, of the wrong colour, not the same product, or the wrong size to claim refund.

Myntra Designs enforcement officer Sardar MS told police that about 5,529 such fraudulent orders were delivered to different locations across Bengaluru.

According to TOI, the police suspect a gang from Rajasthan to be involved in the fraud. Nearly all of those orders were placed from Jaipur. The fraudsters gave delivery addresses of Bengaluru and other metros, and few were delivered to commercial establishments.

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Although the online store wanted to file a complaint for all their losses, Bengaluru police have asked them to only file a complaint regarding the losses that occurred through deliveries within the city.

A case has been registered under IPC Sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and Information Technology Act. A police investigation is underway.

In a similar incident, three arrests were made in Gujarat after e-commerce brand Meesho was cheated of Rs 5.5 crore ($648,000) through fraudulent orders.

(With inputs from agencies)

While digital technology has provided us with a way to browse products and order them online, fraudsters seem to be taking advantage of the loopholes in the services that online shopping provides.

While digital technology has provided us with a way to browse products and order them online, fraudsters seem to be taking advantage of the loopholes in the services that online shopping provides. In such an incident, an Indian online shopping brand has suffered huge losses as fraudsters exploited loopholes to dupe the company by claiming fake refunds. Myntra, the Flipkart-owned fashion giant of India, discovered that it had been duped of Rs 1.1 crore ($129,600) between March and June this year after an audit was conducted. The company has lost over Rs 50 crore ($5,891,220) to scammers nationwide, TOI reported, citing a source. According to police officials, the crooks would place bulk orders for several items available on the website like shoes, apparel, handbags, jewellery, watches, and cosmetics and make payments online or select the cash-on-delivery (COD) option. Also read | Man dies by suicide, tags Musk and Trump in last post, accuses wife of harassment After receiving the order, they would raise complaints about receiving less number of products than ordered. In some cases, they would make a complaint that the product delivered was fake, of the wrong colour, not the same product, or the wrong size to claim refund. Myntra Designs enforcement officer Sardar MS told police that about 5,529 such fraudulent orders were delivered to different locations across Bengaluru. According to TOI, the police suspect a gang from Rajasthan to be involved in the fraud. Nearly all of those orders were placed from Jaipur. The fraudsters gave delivery addresses of Bengaluru and other metros, and few were delivered to commercial establishments. Also read | YesMadam's HR email firing 100 employees to relieve their stress goes viral. Here's the truth behind the post Although the online store wanted to file a complaint for all their losses, Bengaluru police have asked them to only file a complaint regarding the losses that occurred through deliveries within the city. A case has been registered under IPC Sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and Information Technology Act. A police investigation is underway. In a similar incident, three arrests were made in Gujarat after e-commerce brand Meesho was cheated of Rs 5.5 crore ($648,000) through fraudulent orders. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian online fashion giant Myntra duped of $129K by fraudsters, investigation underway: Report

Amid the rising ‘digital arrest’ scam cases, a 26-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Mumbai was duped of Rs 170,000 ($2,000) after scammers claimed her name came up in a money laundering investigation.

The fraudsters also forced her to strip during a video call, according to the FIR or First Information Report from police.

According to the police complaint filed by the woman, she received a phone call on November 19. The cybercriminals posed as Delhi Police officials and told her that her name had come up in a money laundering case linked to businessman Naresh Goyal.&nbsp;

The victim, who resides in Borivali East, was threatened by the scammers of being arrested. She was then asked to shift to video call and book a hotel room for the questioning while being under ‘digital arrest’.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-iit-bombay-student-loses-8000-to-fraudsters-in-digital-arrest-scam-779652">India: IIT Bombay student loses $8,000 to fraudsters in ‘digital arrest’ scam</a>

During the video call, she was asked to strip her clothes for ‘body verification’ and transfer Rs 178,000 ($2,105) for the verification of her bank details. The woman obliged the scammers and transferred the amount, as per the FIR.

After realising she had been tricked, the victim approached the police on November 28. A case has been registered by the Mumbai Police under BNS and IT Act and an investigation is taking place.

<h2>'Digital arrest' scam</h2>

In a digital arrest scam, people receive a call, usually via WhatsApp, and are told their name came up in a government agency investigation.

The victims are then isolated and threatened not to tell anyone about it. Then they are forced to transfer large sums of money to verify their details and given assurance that their money will be returned once their name is cleared in the investigation.

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In another incident, a student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was duped Rs 729,000 ($8,633) by fraudsters who issued a fake ‘digital arrest’ notice and demanded he pay the money.

The cybercriminals posed as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Amid the rise of such digital arrest scams, earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned citizens to beware of such phone or video calls as no investigation agency conducts interrogations in such a manner.

“Stop, think and act,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Amid the rising ‘digital arrest’ scam cases, a 26-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Mumbai was duped of Rs 170,000 ($2,000) after scammers claimed her name came up in a money laundering investigation.

Amid the rising ‘digital arrest’ scam cases, a 26-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Mumbai was duped of Rs 170,000 ($2,000) after scammers claimed her name came up in a money laundering investigation. The fraudsters also forced her to strip during a video call, according to the FIR or First Information Report from police. According to the police complaint filed by the woman, she received a phone call on November 19. The cybercriminals posed as Delhi Police officials and told her that her name had come up in a money laundering case linked to businessman Naresh Goyal. The victim, who resides in Borivali East, was threatened by the scammers of being arrested. She was then asked to shift to video call and book a hotel room for the questioning while being under ‘digital arrest’. Also read | India: IIT Bombay student loses $8,000 to fraudsters in ‘digital arrest’ scam During the video call, she was asked to strip her clothes for ‘body verification’ and transfer Rs 178,000 ($2,105) for the verification of her bank details. The woman obliged the scammers and transferred the amount, as per the FIR. After realising she had been tricked, the victim approached the police on November 28. A case has been registered by the Mumbai Police under BNS and IT Act and an investigation is taking place. 'Digital arrest' scam In a digital arrest scam, people receive a call, usually via WhatsApp, and are told their name came up in a government agency investigation. The victims are then isolated and threatened not to tell anyone about it. Then they are forced to transfer large sums of money to verify their details and given assurance that their money will be returned once their name is cleared in the investigation. Also read | Delhi pollution: Even the best air Delhiites breathed in November was of 'very poor' category In another incident, a student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was duped Rs 729,000 ($8,633) by fraudsters who issued a fake ‘digital arrest’ notice and demanded he pay the money. The cybercriminals posed as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Amid the rise of such digital arrest scams, earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned citizens to beware of such phone or video calls as no investigation agency conducts interrogations in such a manner. “Stop, think and act,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Woman put under ‘digital arrest’, forced to strip, duped of $2,000

A student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was duped of Rs 7.29 lakh ($8,633) by fraudsters, who issued a fake ‘digital arrest’ notice and demanded he pay the money. The cybercriminals posed as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the police said on Tuesday&nbsp;(Nov&nbsp;26).

“The 25-year-old victim received a call from an unknown number in July this year. The caller posed as an employee of the TRAI and informed him that 17 complaints of illegal activities were registered against his mobile number,” an official of the Powai police station in Mumbai said as per&nbsp;news agency PTI.

The victim was told by the scammer that he was required to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from the police to prevent his number from getting deactivated and his call would be transferred to the Cyber Crime Branch.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-noida-woman-loses-40000-after-scammers-send-digital-arrest-notice-779108">India: Noida woman loses $40,000 after scammers send 'digital arrest' notice</a>

The student then received a video call on WhatsApp where a man who was dressed as a police officer demanded his Aadhar card number. The fraudster told him that he was involved in money laundering and pressed him into transferring Rs 29,500 ($3,493) through the unified payments interface (UPI), according to the police.

The accused told the victim he was put under a digital arrest and was not allowed to contact anyone. The next day, the scammers called him again, demanding more money. They also coerced the man into giving up his bank account details, after which the tricksters siphoned Rs 7 lakh ($8,000) from his bank account. After the payment was made, the victim was told that would not face any arrest, the police said.

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Later, the student realised he had been duped by the scammers after learning about the digital arrest, prompting him to lodge a complaint with the police against the scammers.

In August, a woman from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, was duped of Rs 34 lakh ($40,000) by cybercriminals in a similar “digital arrest”, who claimed that a parcel sent from Mumbai to Iran in her name had been seized by the officials.

Amid the rise of such digital arrest scams, earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned citizens to beware of such phone or video calls as no investigation agency conducts interrogations in such a manner. “Stop, think and act,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

A student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was duped of Rs 7.29 lakh ($8,633) by fraudsters, who issued a fake ‘digital arrest’ notice and demanded he pay the money.

A student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was duped of Rs 7.29 lakh ($8,633) by fraudsters, who issued a fake ‘digital arrest’ notice and demanded he pay the money. The cybercriminals posed as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the police said on Tuesday (Nov 26). “The 25-year-old victim received a call from an unknown number in July this year. The caller posed as an employee of the TRAI and informed him that 17 complaints of illegal activities were registered against his mobile number,” an official of the Powai police station in Mumbai said as per news agency PTI. The victim was told by the scammer that he was required to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from the police to prevent his number from getting deactivated and his call would be transferred to the Cyber Crime Branch. Also read | India: Noida woman loses $40,000 after scammers send 'digital arrest' notice The student then received a video call on WhatsApp where a man who was dressed as a police officer demanded his Aadhar card number. The fraudster told him that he was involved in money laundering and pressed him into transferring Rs 29,500 ($3,493) through the unified payments interface (UPI), according to the police. The accused told the victim he was put under a digital arrest and was not allowed to contact anyone. The next day, the scammers called him again, demanding more money. They also coerced the man into giving up his bank account details, after which the tricksters siphoned Rs 7 lakh ($8,000) from his bank account. After the payment was made, the victim was told that would not face any arrest, the police said. Also read | India: Meth seized from Myanmarese boat costs more than aircraft carrier Vikrant, built at a cost of $2.49bn Later, the student realised he had been duped by the scammers after learning about the digital arrest, prompting him to lodge a complaint with the police against the scammers. In August, a woman from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, was duped of Rs 34 lakh ($40,000) by cybercriminals in a similar “digital arrest”, who claimed that a parcel sent from Mumbai to Iran in her name had been seized by the officials. Amid the rise of such digital arrest scams, earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned citizens to beware of such phone or video calls as no investigation agency conducts interrogations in such a manner. “Stop, think and act,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)

India: IIT Bombay student loses $8,000 to fraudsters in ‘digital arrest’ scam

A woman was duped of Rs 34 lakh ($40,000) in Noida in a case of "digital arrest" by cyber criminals who threatened her with fake notices by the Enforcement Directorate, officials said on Sunday.

The fraudsters claimed that a parcel was being sent from Mumbai to Iran in her name containing five passports, two debit cards, two laptops, 900 US dollars, and 200 gm&nbsp;of narcotics, they said.

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The victim received a call from the fraudsters at around 10 pm on August 8, she said in her complaint.

The Gautam Buddha cyber crime police station has registered a case and started an investigation into the matter, Inspector-in-charge Vijay Kumar Gautam said.

According to the complaint of Nidhi Paliwal, a resident of Sector-41, the fraudsters sent her a complaint via WhatsApp and asked her to send Rs 34 lakh ($40,000).

An accused also video-called her on Skype with the video switched off, Paliwal said in her complaint.

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Inspector Gautam said the accused also sent two notices to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which serious allegations were made against the victim. A probe on the matter is underway, he said.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

A woman was duped of Rs 34 lakh ($40,000) in Noida in a case of "digital arrest" by cyber criminals who threatened her with fake notices by the Enforcement Directorate, officials said on Sunday.

A woman was duped of Rs 34 lakh ($40,000) in Noida in a case of "digital arrest" by cyber criminals who threatened her with fake notices by the Enforcement Directorate, officials said on Sunday. The fraudsters claimed that a parcel was being sent from Mumbai to Iran in her name containing five passports, two debit cards, two laptops, 900 US dollars, and 200 gm of narcotics, they said. Also read | Indian Parliament Winter Session: Both Houses adjourned till Wed amid uproar by oppn over Adani case The victim received a call from the fraudsters at around 10 pm on August 8, she said in her complaint. The Gautam Buddha cyber crime police station has registered a case and started an investigation into the matter, Inspector-in-charge Vijay Kumar Gautam said. According to the complaint of Nidhi Paliwal, a resident of Sector-41, the fraudsters sent her a complaint via WhatsApp and asked her to send Rs 34 lakh ($40,000). An accused also video-called her on Skype with the video switched off, Paliwal said in her complaint. Also read | Bribery allegations rock Adani group: global projects in the spotlight Inspector Gautam said the accused also sent two notices to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which serious allegations were made against the victim. A probe on the matter is underway, he said. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

India: Noida woman loses $40,000 after scammers send 'digital arrest' notice

A 65-year-old woman in the Indian financial capital,&nbsp;Mumbai, was duped of&nbsp;more than Rs 1.30 crore (approx $154,000)&nbsp;in an elaborate cyber fraud. The scammers pretended to be officials from various organisations and extorted money from her for over two years.

The victim, who previously resided in the city's&nbsp;Chandivali area&nbsp;and moved to Byculla in June 2024, reportedly said&nbsp;that her troubles started in April 2023 when she met a stranger on an international dating app. The man claimed to be an American civil engineer working in the Philippines and said his name was Paul Rutherford.

Rutherford made up a story of a fatal accident at his construction site and said he needed funds to prevent deportation back to the United States, reported Hindustan Times. The woman sent him Rs 70 lakh ($83,365) in Bitcoin between April and June 2023 to help him. She also borrowed some money from her relatives to pay the fraudster, who&nbsp;promised to pay her back.

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In June last year, Rutherford claimed that he sent her&nbsp;a parcel containing $2 million after which she received a call from one Priya Sharma, who claimed to be a Delhi airport official.&nbsp;

Sharma said that the parcel addressed to her had been intercepted by the Customs department. She asked the victim to pay various charges to receive the parcel. The victim complied with the demands and transferred funds to different bank accounts between June 2023 and March 2024.

"The fraud didn't end there," said a police officer involved in the probe. The fraudsters tried to extort more money from the victim and posed as executives from Bank of America, who claimed to have received the funds and had sent her an ATM card.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyber-slavery-thousands-of-indians-are-trapped-and-tens-of-thousands-have-gone-missing-in-south-asia-763178">Cyber slavery: Thousands of Indians are trapped and tens of thousands have gone missing in Southeast Asia</a>

The woman also received phone calls from people who claimed to be from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)&nbsp;and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). They demanded further payments from her amounting to Rs 17 crore ($2.02 million) into various accounts as the cost of exchanging the currency from dollars to rupees.

Even after making several payments amounting to Rs 1,29,43,661 ($154,149) in total, the woman kept receiving calls from several&nbsp;people claiming to be from various agencies or authorities. It was only then that the woman finally grew suspicious and realised that she had been scammed. The woman&nbsp;then filed an FIR at the West Region Cyber police station about the incident.

"We have initiated investigation but have yet to uncover any leads to trace the fraudsters," the police officer said.

(With inputs from agencies)

A 65-year-old woman in the Indian financial capital, Mumbai, was duped of more than Rs 1.30 crore (approx $154,000) in an elaborate cyber fraud. The scammers pretended to be officials from various organisations and extorted money from her for over two years.

A 65-year-old woman in the Indian financial capital, Mumbai, was duped of more than Rs 1.30 crore (approx $154,000) in an elaborate cyber fraud. The scammers pretended to be officials from various organisations and extorted money from her for over two years. The victim, who previously resided in the city's Chandivali area and moved to Byculla in June 2024, reportedly said that her troubles started in April 2023 when she met a stranger on an international dating app. The man claimed to be an American civil engineer working in the Philippines and said his name was Paul Rutherford. Rutherford made up a story of a fatal accident at his construction site and said he needed funds to prevent deportation back to the United States, reported Hindustan Times. The woman sent him Rs 70 lakh ($83,365) in Bitcoin between April and June 2023 to help him. She also borrowed some money from her relatives to pay the fraudster, who promised to pay her back. Also read | Coldplay concert ticket scam: BookMyShow chief summoned over alleged fraud In June last year, Rutherford claimed that he sent her a parcel containing $2 million after which she received a call from one Priya Sharma, who claimed to be a Delhi airport official. Sharma said that the parcel addressed to her had been intercepted by the Customs department. She asked the victim to pay various charges to receive the parcel. The victim complied with the demands and transferred funds to different bank accounts between June 2023 and March 2024. "The fraud didn't end there," said a police officer involved in the probe. The fraudsters tried to extort more money from the victim and posed as executives from Bank of America, who claimed to have received the funds and had sent her an ATM card. Also read | Cyber slavery: Thousands of Indians are trapped and tens of thousands have gone missing in Southeast Asia The woman also received phone calls from people who claimed to be from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). They demanded further payments from her amounting to Rs 17 crore ($2.02 million) into various accounts as the cost of exchanging the currency from dollars to rupees. Even after making several payments amounting to Rs 1,29,43,661 ($154,149) in total, the woman kept receiving calls from several people claiming to be from various agencies or authorities. It was only then that the woman finally grew suspicious and realised that she had been scammed. The woman then filed an FIR at the West Region Cyber police station about the incident. "We have initiated investigation but have yet to uncover any leads to trace the fraudsters," the police officer said. (With inputs from agencies)

India: 65-year-old Mumbai woman duped of $154,000 by cyber scammers

Experts say that scammers are using Deepfakes of famous doctors to promote health scams. Watch to know more.

Experts: Scammers using Deepfakes of famous doctors to promote health scams

As the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh gears up for the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the birthplace of lord Rama, scammers are using this historic occasion to scam innocent pilgrims.

Ayodhya Ram Temple: Criminals loot devotees in Ram Temple's name, QR code fraud targets devotees

Ahead of the highly-anticipated Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, criminal rackets that are using the auspicious occasion to defraud the devotees have sprung up across the country.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, criminal rackets that are using the auspicious occasion to defraud the devotees have sprung up across the country. According to news agency ANI, the scammers are using fake QR codes saying they are collecting donations for the temple. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) (a Hindu rights organisation) has warned how cybercriminals have put out social media messages, seeking donations in the name of the temple. VHP revealed a miscreant identified as Abhishek Kumar had been seeking funds for Ayodhya temple development by posting messages on different online groups, with the money going to his personal bank account. "He has posted the UPI QR codes in Facebook groups with the line 'Ram Mandir Ayodhya Chanda pradarshan Karen.' On scanning the QR Code, UPI will direct the user to UPI ID '9040914736@Paytm' with the name Manisha Nallabelly," Girish Bhardwaj, a VHP member said in a letter to the Uttar Pradesh DGP and IG. सावधान..!! श्री राम जन्मभूमि तीर्थ क्षेत्र के नाम से फर्जी आईडी बना कर कुछ लोग पैसा ठगी का प्रयास कर रहे हैं। @HMOIndia @CPDelhi @dgpup @Uppolice को ऐसे लोगों के विरूद्ध विलम्ब कार्यवाही करनी चहिए। @ShriRamTeerth has not authorised any body to collect funds for this occasion. pic.twitter.com/YHhgTBXEKi — विनोद बंसल Vinod Bansal (@vinod_bansal) December 31, 2023 × Notably, when a VHP member from Ayodhya spoke to Kumar over the phone, the alleged fraudster said: "Contribute as much as you can. Your name and number will be noted in the diary. When the temple is completed, all of you will be invited to Ayodhya. I am speaking from Ayodhya." The scammers are also using the name of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust overseeing the construction and management of the temple, to seek money from the devotees. "Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra has not given anyone any right to collect money in any way. And those who are making such efforts want to cheat people in a fraudulent manner, and action should be taken against them," VHP's national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said in a post on X on Sunday. Watch | Ayodhya's Ram Mandir (Temple) set to open for public from January 2024 Ram temple consecration ceremony After years of court cases and several controversies, the Indian Supreme Court in 2019 granted the land to the Hindu side to build the temple. PM Modi laid the foundation stone (Bhumi puja) in August 2020 and after over three years, he will be there to attend the consecration ceremony on January 22. Also read | Ayodhya's new airport to be named 'Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham': Report The temple is central to the beliefs of Hindus and the entire complex has been built in the traditional Nagara style. Upon completion, the temple will be 380 feet long (east-west direction), 250 feet wide and 161 feet high. Each floor of the temple will be 20 ft high with a total of 392 pillars and 44 gates. (With inputs from agencies)

Scammers con devotees ahead of Ram Mandir consecration ceremony; VHP issues statement

Over&nbsp;230 people in Hong Kong recently fell prey to online scams within a span of a single week, informed the police, according to a South China Morning Post report. The victims were scammed after being tricked into buying discounted&nbsp;hotel and travel packages as well as theme park tickets for the summer holidays.&nbsp;

The police said the modus-operandi followed by the scammers included posing as sellers and offering obviously fake services to unsuspecting victims. In order to win the trust of victims, the scammers upon selling the travel or hotel packages, also offered&nbsp;cheap items such as theme park tickets, concert passes, handbags as well as electronic products.&nbsp;

“Scammers, posing as sellers, attract buyers with limited offers, sales, overseas purchasing services.&nbsp;They ask buyers to transfer money into designated accounts and refuse to trade face-to-face. Upon receiving the money, the ‘sellers’ will vanish into thin air," the police was quoted as saying by the publication.&nbsp;

“Eighty-two of the 237 reports were related to the purchase of travel or hotel packages,” the police added.&nbsp;

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<h2>Online fraud cases on rise</h2>

Local reports state&nbsp;that the combined&nbsp;losses of all the victims totalled HK$210,000 (US$26,800). In the biggest case in terms of amount, an online shopper was cheated out of more than HK$50,000 ($6,377)&nbsp;

In the first six months of the year, police handled 4,872 reports of online shopping fraud which was an increase of 23 per cent from 3,954 cases, reported in the same January-June period in 2022.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-to-curb-some-japan-food-imports-over-fukushima-city-leader-627809">Also read |&nbsp;Hong Kong to curb some Japan food imports over Fukushima: City leade</a>r

In an attempt to curb the number of cyber fraud cases, the police have introduced a search engine named Scameter. The app, accessible via&nbsp;the CyberDefender website, provides information that helps the public identify suspicious web addresses, emails, phone numbers and IP addresses.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Over 230 people in Hong Kong recently fell prey to online scams within a span of a single week, informed the police, according to a South China Morning Post report.

Over 230 people in Hong Kong recently fell prey to online scams within a span of a single week, informed the police, according to a South China Morning Post report. The victims were scammed after being tricked into buying discounted hotel and travel packages as well as theme park tickets for the summer holidays. The police said the modus-operandi followed by the scammers included posing as sellers and offering obviously fake services to unsuspecting victims. In order to win the trust of victims, the scammers upon selling the travel or hotel packages, also offered cheap items such as theme park tickets, concert passes, handbags as well as electronic products. “Scammers, posing as sellers, attract buyers with limited offers, sales, overseas purchasing services. They ask buyers to transfer money into designated accounts and refuse to trade face-to-face. Upon receiving the money, the ‘sellers’ will vanish into thin air," the police was quoted as saying by the publication. “Eighty-two of the 237 reports were related to the purchase of travel or hotel packages,” the police added. Watch | Barrister party founded in 2006, dissolves in Hong Kong × Online fraud cases on rise Local reports state that the combined losses of all the victims totalled HK$210,000 (US$26,800). In the biggest case in terms of amount, an online shopper was cheated out of more than HK$50,000 ($6,377) In the first six months of the year, police handled 4,872 reports of online shopping fraud which was an increase of 23 per cent from 3,954 cases, reported in the same January-June period in 2022. Also read | Hong Kong to curb some Japan food imports over Fukushima: City leader In an attempt to curb the number of cyber fraud cases, the police have introduced a search engine named Scameter. The app, accessible via the CyberDefender website, provides information that helps the public identify suspicious web addresses, emails, phone numbers and IP addresses. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Over 230 Hongkongers duped by scammers in one week to the tune of $27,000

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

Amid the debris and ruins left in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Turkey-Syria, scammers have propped up by the numbers to exploit the humanitarian crisis.

Amid the debris and ruins left in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Turkey-Syria, scammers have propped up by the numbers to exploit the humanitarian crisis. The scammers have made elaborate profiles on social media platforms such as Twitter and TikTok, asking gullible netizens to donate money to help in the aid process. A now-suspended Twitter page named "Turkey Earthquake Relief" with only 31 followers to its name had been asking for donations via PayPal. It had $900 in donations but $500 came from the creator of the page to make the exercise look authentic. According to BleepinComputer, while most scammers use phishing links or separate domains to make the ploy work in ordinary circumstances, the current batch is using legit links to trustworthy payment platforms to make their trick look convincing. Other scams include getting donations in crypto wallets which may never reach the ground. On TikTok, the content creators are receiving digital gifts by live streaming the recordings of TV shows chronicling the destruction trail of the earthquake. It is a zero-effort ploy that often brings monetary benefit to the creators/con artists only. Captions like 'Pray for Turkey', 'Donate for Turkey' are used to ask for donations. Watch | Hundreds dead, many trapped as major earthquake jolts Turkey, Syria Meanwhile, some are using distressing photos and videos, from earlier events to drive up donations for their scam. In one particular instance, a TikTok account could be seen posting a photo of a child running in front of a dystopian background with the caption, 'Please help achieve this goal'. However, a simple reverse search shows that the photo had been posted in 2018 on Twitter with the caption 'Stop Afrin Genocide'. What happened in Turkey-Syria? A week ago, Turkey and Syria were rocked by one of the most powerful earthquakes in recent memory that has already taken the lives of over 33,000. In the aftermath of the quake, over 34,000 have lost their lives. Questions have been raised over the safety of the buildings across Turkey which were flattened like a pack of cards. Around 6,000 buildings collapsed in the Gaziantep area - the epicentre of the quake. According to the state media, police have detained over 130 contractors for not following the building codes which led to the death of thousands. WATCH | Drone footage shows the devastating earthquake aftermath in Turkey Miracle rescues Amid the doom and gloom, some cheer has come in the form of real-life superheroes working on the ground to rescue people trapped in the debris. On Monday, five-year-old Aras was rescued from the rubble of his home in the city of Kahramanmaras, 105 hours after the earthquake. Similarly, a young girl, trapped in the ruins for 178 hours or seven-and-a-half days was also rescued by the miracle workers on the ground. Video footage of her rescue shows people cheering 'God is Great' as she was lifted out of the destruction. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Crisis profiteers, scammers turn Turkey-Syria earthquake into a money-swindling opportunity

Nowadays, everyone knows better than to respond to the emails from "Nigerian princes" asking for "loans", as those cons are yesterday's news. Since then, scammers have had to upgrade to newer scams. One that has come to light is "out of this&nbsp;world".

In Japan, a 65-year-old woman was swindled out of around $30,000 or 4.4 million yen between August 19 and September 5, by a man claiming to be a Russian cosmonaut.

Watch |&nbsp;How cryptocurrency scammers use dating apps to steal your money | Tech It Out

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Kyoto News reports that the woman, who lives in the Shiga Prefecture, got connected to the scammer on a social media website before they started communicating on Line messaging app.

The person, as per police, professed his love for the woman and even proposed marriage multiple times.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/thiefs-can-use-thermal-camera-and-ai-to-crack-your-password-heres-how-524376" hreflang="en">Thieves can use thermal camera and AI to crack your password. Here's how</a>

He then started asking her for expenses for a rocket for coming back to Earth from space. She transferred around $30,000 to the man's bank account, but when he kept demanding more money she contacted the police.

As per MSN, the man's profile on the social media site Instagram was full of photos of space and he claimed to be a cosmonaut on the International Space Station.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/the-price-of-love-cryptocurrency-scammers-target-dating-apps-466384">The price of love: Cryptocurrency scammers target dating apps</a>

Police are now investigating him for a "romance scam". These cons are actually very common these days. Fraudsters connect with their targets over social media, get close, and trick them into believing lies about love and relationships before swindling money from them.

During the pandemic, these scams skyrocketed as people turned to social media in the absence of social interactions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Nowadays, everyone knows better than to respond to the emails from "Nigerian princes" asking for "loans", as those cons are yesterday's news. Since then, scammers have had to upgrade to newer scams.

Nowadays, everyone knows better than to respond to the emails from "Nigerian princes" asking for "loans", as those cons are yesterday's news. Since then, scammers have had to upgrade to newer scams. One that has come to light is "out of this world". In Japan, a 65-year-old woman was swindled out of around $30,000 or 4.4 million yen between August 19 and September 5, by a man claiming to be a Russian cosmonaut. Watch | How cryptocurrency scammers use dating apps to steal your money | Tech It Out Kyoto News reports that the woman, who lives in the Shiga Prefecture, got connected to the scammer on a social media website before they started communicating on Line messaging app. The person, as per police, professed his love for the woman and even proposed marriage multiple times. Also read | Thieves can use thermal camera and AI to crack your password. Here's how He then started asking her for expenses for a rocket for coming back to Earth from space. She transferred around $30,000 to the man's bank account, but when he kept demanding more money she contacted the police. As per MSN, the man's profile on the social media site Instagram was full of photos of space and he claimed to be a cosmonaut on the International Space Station. Also read | The price of love: Cryptocurrency scammers target dating apps Police are now investigating him for a "romance scam". These cons are actually very common these days. Fraudsters connect with their targets over social media, get close, and trick them into believing lies about love and relationships before swindling money from them. During the pandemic, these scams skyrocketed as people turned to social media in the absence of social interactions. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Japanese woman swindled out of $30,000 in an 'out of this world' scam

An old scam is marking returns in the form of cryptocurrency investments, with the potential of wiping out millions of dollars.

Named “pig butchering”, scammers, under this, pose as long-lost school friends or potential lovers and con their victims by building up trust, manipulating them into depositing their crypto assets into fake trading platforms controlled by the perpetrators.

These bogus platforms are designed to look authentic and make the victims believe that their investments are making fantastic returns, until the scammer swindles all their money and disappears.

The practice has so far been reported in countries like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and most recently in US, where officials at both the federal and local levels have made little headway in recovering stolen funds or catching the perpetrators.

According to an FBI report, the name refers to how scammers “feed their victims with promises of romance and riches before cutting them off and taking all their money.”

An August report by Coinbase, a cryptocurrency trading company, stated that scammers slowly work to convince their targets to move their cryptocurrency away from legitimate exchanges and onto fraudulent websites by asking for a large sum of money up front.

In order to convince them to invest even larger sums of money, these tricksters even give their targets a small amount of money, Coinbase finds.

The scammers also devise various ways to appeal to their target’s emotions, such as asking questions like, “Don’t you want to have enough money for your kids?” Jan Santiago, deputy director of Global Anti-Scam Org, told CNBC Make It.

But when their targets attempt to withdraw their funds, they are told to pay a fee before claiming their money. But more often, the scammers disappear with the stolen funds, which are nearly impossible to get returned.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center report states that $429 million was lost to these types of scams in 2021.

But experts believe that one can save themselves from being tricked into investing in fake trading platforms.

“For starters, don’t take investment advice from people you meet on Tinder,” Joshua Crumbaugh, CEO of Phishfirewall and former ethical hacker, told CNBC.

&nbsp;“If the fund/currency/etc. came to you through any form of social media or unsolicited communication, be highly skeptical,” he adds.

He also states that investors should be cautious of higher-than-average returns on investment, “especially if they are able to show you quick returns and you find yourself wanting to invest more money immediately after the initial investment.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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An old scam is marking returns in the form of cryptocurrency investments, with the potential of wiping out millions of dollars. Named “pig butchering”, scammers, under this, pose as long-lost school friends or potential lovers and con their victims by building up trust, manipulating them into depositing their crypto assets into fake trading platforms controlled by the perpetrators.

An old scam is marking returns in the form of cryptocurrency investments, with the potential of wiping out millions of dollars. Named “pig butchering”, scammers, under this, pose as long-lost school friends or potential lovers and con their victims by building up trust, manipulating them into depositing their crypto assets into fake trading platforms controlled by the perpetrators. These bogus platforms are designed to look authentic and make the victims believe that their investments are making fantastic returns, until the scammer swindles all their money and disappears. The practice has so far been reported in countries like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and most recently in US, where officials at both the federal and local levels have made little headway in recovering stolen funds or catching the perpetrators. According to an FBI report, the name refers to how scammers “feed their victims with promises of romance and riches before cutting them off and taking all their money.” An August report by Coinbase, a cryptocurrency trading company, stated that scammers slowly work to convince their targets to move their cryptocurrency away from legitimate exchanges and onto fraudulent websites by asking for a large sum of money up front. In order to convince them to invest even larger sums of money, these tricksters even give their targets a small amount of money, Coinbase finds. The scammers also devise various ways to appeal to their target’s emotions, such as asking questions like, “Don’t you want to have enough money for your kids?” Jan Santiago, deputy director of Global Anti-Scam Org, told CNBC Make It. But when their targets attempt to withdraw their funds, they are told to pay a fee before claiming their money. But more often, the scammers disappear with the stolen funds, which are nearly impossible to get returned. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center report states that $429 million was lost to these types of scams in 2021. But experts believe that one can save themselves from being tricked into investing in fake trading platforms. “For starters, don’t take investment advice from people you meet on Tinder,” Joshua Crumbaugh, CEO of Phishfirewall and former ethical hacker, told CNBC. “If the fund/currency/etc. came to you through any form of social media or unsolicited communication, be highly skeptical,” he adds. He also states that investors should be cautious of higher-than-average returns on investment, “especially if they are able to show you quick returns and you find yourself wanting to invest more money immediately after the initial investment.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

‘Pig butchering’ crypto scam: How a wrong text message can swipe out millions of dollars

If you're looking for love, the internet might seem like a great place to start, but with romance scammers using well thought out ways to trick people online, you need to stay alert. Watch the story to know more.

How cryptocurrency scammers use dating apps to steal your money | Tech It Out

If you're looking for love, the internet might seem like a great place to start. But beware of romance scammers! These criminals first steal your heart, and then your money. Watch the video to know how you can protect yourself from such frauds.

Tech It Out: How romance scammers use dating apps to steal your money

Scammers stole $14 billion in cryptocurrencies last year. Cryptocurrencies are quickly becoming a part of the mainstream. But how will governments contain the crypto criminals? Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Crypto Scammers stole $14 billion in 2021

Threat actors are promoting phoney cryptocurrency wallets and DEX platforms on Google Search in order to steal users' cryptocurrency.&nbsp;

Scammers have utilised the new form of phishing effort that didn't use emails to steal about $500,000 in cryptocurrencies from wallets.

According to Check Point Research, the criminals bought Google Ads placements for their fake wallet websites, such as Phantom App and MetaMask. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/islamic-organisation-in-indonesia-declares-fatwa-against-cryptocurrency-says-it-is-against-sharia-law-425871">Also read | Islamic organisation in Indonesia declares fatwa against cryptocurrency; says it is against Sharia law</a>

The malicious websites have URLs that are similar to the genuine service's, such as "phantonn.app" (the real service's URL is "phantom.app"), and designs that are likewise similar to the real thing.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Will China to dominate cryptocurrency market?

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If the victim visits the false page and types in their password, the fraudsters will grab it.

The attacker's secret recovery phrase will be disclosed to the victim if they utilise the fraudulent website to establish a new wallet.

If they log in with the recovery phrase, they'll be logging into the account of the bad actor, and any funds moved to it will go to the fraudster.

The bogus website for MetaMask, in example, offers the option of importing an existing wallet.

Because this necessitates the use of a seed phrase, the fraudsters will have access to it as well.&nbsp;

Researchers at CheckPoint saw a surge in relevant scamming reports over the past weekend, with numerous ads tricking victims into visiting various typosquatted domains.

CheckPoint determined that the criminals used the same account to establish several wallets, each relating to a different victim, and received significant sums every few hours.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Threat actors are promoting phoney cryptocurrency wallets and DEX platforms on Google Search in order to steal users' cryptocurrency. Scammers have utilised the new form of phishing effort that didn't use emails to steal about $500,000 in cryptocurrencies from wallets.

Threat actors are promoting phoney cryptocurrency wallets and DEX platforms on Google Search in order to steal users' cryptocurrency. Scammers have utilised the new form of phishing effort that didn't use emails to steal about $500,000 in cryptocurrencies from wallets. According to Check Point Research, the criminals bought Google Ads placements for their fake wallet websites, such as Phantom App and MetaMask. Also read | Islamic organisation in Indonesia declares fatwa against cryptocurrency; says it is against Sharia law The malicious websites have URLs that are similar to the genuine service's, such as "phantonn.app" (the real service's URL is "phantom.app"), and designs that are likewise similar to the real thing. Watch | Will China to dominate cryptocurrency market? If the victim visits the false page and types in their password, the fraudsters will grab it. The attacker's secret recovery phrase will be disclosed to the victim if they utilise the fraudulent website to establish a new wallet. If they log in with the recovery phrase, they'll be logging into the account of the bad actor, and any funds moved to it will go to the fraudster. The bogus website for MetaMask, in example, offers the option of importing an existing wallet. Because this necessitates the use of a seed phrase, the fraudsters will have access to it as well. Researchers at CheckPoint saw a surge in relevant scamming reports over the past weekend, with numerous ads tricking victims into visiting various typosquatted domains. CheckPoint determined that the criminals used the same account to establish several wallets, each relating to a different victim, and received significant sums every few hours. (With inputs from agencies)

Cyber criminals used Google ads to steal $500,000 worth of cryptocurrency

Fraudsters are using various tricks to cheat people and defraud them of their money. Watch the video to know more

Don't fall prey to online scams on Paytm, WhatsApp and other popular apps

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