Hydrabad: A sudden jump has been observed in cases pertaining to online marketplace site, OLX in Hyderabad, with about 50 reports and 12 complaints being registered in the past two months. According to senior officials of Hyderabad Cyber Crimes, around 4 lakh pamphlets were printed which will be distributed to the people to spread awareness about the scams.
As the country is going digital and opting for online payment, fraudsters are using platforms like OLX and Quikr to target victims and cheat them on the pretext of making a deal. Once the party wires the amount, they find the seller’s phone switched off and the person absconding.
The new modus operandi used by the scamsters is to pose as army personnel or jawans from CRPF/CISF and lure the victims with products like bikes, cars and gadgets. They then send across fake identity cards, following which they ask the buyer to send advance money or delivery charges and cheat them, said Additional DCP of Cyber Crimes, K.C.S. Raghuvir.
Cyber Crime officials are actively taking up the cases and deputing teams to nab the offenders who scam the unsuspecting victims. Most of the victims who fall prey to such scams are well educated, officials said.
“We have been getting complaints in the last few months from people in the city from different walks of life. These victims deposit the money in the account numbers provided by the scamsters. They realise that they have been cheated only after losing their money,” said a Cyber Crime official, adding that the scamsters lure customers by either making them deposit money or send a defective piece.
Previously, the offenders used to call people to secluded areas where they assaulted the buyer and fled with cash. Lately, they started demanding that the customers should transfer money before the delivery.
The helpless lot seek help from the company's website by writing to them but in vain. Several complaints can be seen posted on the online forum where they have expressed their story and have warned others.
