How to protect yourself from fake calls and messages? Learn effective methods

Fake calls and messages are becoming increasingly common nationwide. While some dismiss them as a nuisance, many people fall victim to these cybercriminals. 

A lack of awareness can cause heavy financial and security losses. These scammers contact people via calls or messages and trick them by fabricating scenarios and hassling money out of people by asking for sensitive information like OTPs, account numbers, card details, and more. 

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) recently posted on X (formerly Twitter), alerting people about the dangers of fake calls and messages and how to avoid them. The post states, "Safety tip of the day: Beware of fake calls/messages."

 

Safety tip of the day: Beware of fake calls/messages. pic.twitter.com/zMwZOT5rtX

— CERT-In (@IndianCERT)

Following are some tips shared to avoid fake calls and messages: 

• Do not download unknown apps and refrain from clicking on suspicious links received through SMS, social media posts, or chat. 
• If you receive a call from an unknown number, do not provide your personal information, instead, ask for the caller's identity.
• Ignore suspicious calls or messages. Do not respond to them and make sure you block them.
• Report numbers that ask for your  KYC, credit card, or debit card update and activation. Do not entertain these calls, as they may lead to theft from your bank accounts.  
• Have different passwords and PINS for different accounts and change them regularly. 
• Use multi-factor authorisation to ensure proper protection of sensitive details. 
• Enable the caller ID feature on your phone to avoid picking up scam calls. 

The citizens have to be aware and vigilant about these scams. Ensure that you report scam calls and messages to the National Cybercrime Reporting helpline number 1930 or visit the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal to log complaints against such crimes. 

Also Read: Fraudster poses as DGP, threatens people to scam money: J&K police take action 

Also Read: What are the dangers of using public Wi-Fi? Learn how to avoid data theft and malware attacks

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