An increase in productivity and overall quality of life has been noticed since the advent of smartphones. With almost everything available at a finger tap, accessibility to information, online services and facilities, amid other things, has increased manifolds. However, this gadget that is making our life convenient, has proven to be one of the biggest inconveniences when digital crimes are taken into account.
In one of the episodes of Hidden Files 3.0, expert Mr. Amit Dubey narrates a real-life incident where a businessman was duped by a gang of cybercriminals and how one can carefully avoid such situations. For more such mind-boggling and educative narratives, tune into RED FM between 8 PM to 9 PM, every Monday through Friday.
To help or not to help strangers in need?
When a stranger tells you that they need to make an urgent phone call to their mother, you can rarely deny giving your phone and offer assistance. This is how a group of cybercriminals targeted Mr. Mukesh Shah, an Indian businessman. However, the story started unravelling 5 days later, when his accountant informed him that the transfer of ₹1.5 crores, which he had requested over email, has been completed. Troubled and shocked by this information, Mr. Shah contacted the authorities.
A thorough investigation revealed that calls on his phone were being forwarded to another number that was being used by a cybercriminal gang. Despite two-factor authentication enabled on Mr. Shah’s email account, it was hacked, as nowadays OTPs are also communicated via calls. They accessed his information via VPN and sent an email to the accountant regarding the transfer of money.
When the accountant called to confirm this hefty transaction, the criminals set up the scenario at a time when the real Mr. Shah’s phone was busy, thereby, the call was forwarded to the crime ring operators. Using voice modulators, they deceived the accountant into approving the transaction that was suspiciously requested over an email. While the police caught up with the criminals behind this and things were restored to the status quo, this incident leaves a lot for everyone to learn from.
Knock Knock
This narration would cajole anyone to take a deep mental dive and think of ways in which they can safeguard themselves from online predators, who are getting creative and difficult to trace with each passing day. RED FM’s Hidden Files- Season 3 can save you the trouble as the show details out cybercrime security tips, along with such incidents. So don’t forget to tune into “India’s first cybercrime audiobook broadcasted on radio“!
Timings: 8 PM to 9 PM
Days: Monday to Friday
Station: 93.5 RED FM
