5G services are finally here. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have started rolling out the next-generation internet service to the customers. While users are figuring out ways to activate 5G on their devices, fraudsters see this as an opportunity to dupe gullible customers. Police departments of multiple cities and states have been informing citizens to stay wary of impostors pretending to help activate 5G on phones.
“Cyber fraudsters are sending links in the name of 5G. If you open the link, there is a risk of hacking the phone. If you are not alert, you will be in danger. Accounts are being emptied by sending links to upgrade from 4G to 5G SIM. The links are being sent with the names of respective telecom companies,” Hyderabad police said in a Twitter post. Earlier this week, Mumbai Police shared a tweet saying “Risk Alert! Upgradation in tech brings about a new wave of scammers waiting to pounce. The most recent one is fraudsters offering to guide you to convert to 5G. Do not share your personal/banking information or click on any unknown links.”
Similarly, Gurugram Police issued an advisory saying, “Since the news of 5G rollout in Gurugram has come out, the number of these incidents have gone up. However, we have asked residents to be vigilant and not to share OTPs with anyone.”
While we all want to upgrade to 5G, it is advisable to practice caution. Fraudsters can lure you into sharing your bank details or other personal information on phone or via SMS. Here are some of the known modus operandi of these scamsters
– You may receive a link on your phone to upgrade from 4G to 5G. Do not click on these links
– Scammers may call you pretending to be a telecom operator representative and ask you for OTPs or personal information. Do not share
– You may receive messages with steps to upgrade from 4G to 5G. Do not entertain such messages
– Fraudsters may call you and ask you to share banking details in order to upgrade to 5G services. Do not share any details with them
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More
Less
