The festive season is here with a never ending sale and offers for online shopping lovers. But wait, is it even safe to shop online? Some reports suggest that there has been a rise in online shopping scams in this festive season. One of such scams is targeting Flipkart users. Here’s a look at what might pose you a threat.
Flipkart shoppers beware of scams
If you are someone using Flipkart to complete your Diwali shopping list, then you might be in trouble. The reason? Scammers are using the ‘Flipkart pay later,’ payment option for getting access to people’s data. In addition to this, through this they are also able to initiate money laundering. Notably, Flipkart pay later allows you to pay later after you have purchased your item. You get an OTP to make the payment anytime you want. It is one of the most popular payment systems among users, due to its flexible payment structure.
So, how does this scam work? If you are using the ‘pay later’ payment method, you will get calls (pretending from Flipkart) to share your OTP. These calls might seem genuine, but are not. These calls might sound suspicious as these calls create a ‘urgency’ to share your OTP as soon as possible. Now this is the main trap which might land you up in trouble.
Most of the user’s land up sharing the OTP. This is now used by the scammers to get access to your data. This can include bank details and your Aadhar number, among others. Also, as you share the OTP, you land up in making a transaction. Eventually, your money gets transferred to the account of the scammer.
The safety nets
So how can you protect yourself from this scam? Here’s how you can:
- Do not share your OTP. First check the authenticity of the call.
- Do not pick up any calls from suspicious numbers. Even if you by chance pick up the call, hang up the call as soon as possible. Do not initiate much conversation with the caller.
- Next do not fall for urgency. Fraudsters often create a situation of ‘urgency’ while organizing a scam. Avoid such urgencies. For example if you are urgently instructed to make payment from an unknown website, do not accept it. This might be a case of money laundering.
- Lastly, if you by chance fall for the scam, report it. You can always reach out to Flipkart’s helpline. In addition to this you can also call the cybersecurity police. You can get the contact information in Google.
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