Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal, has cautioned his customers upon the rising cases of cyber frauds which has become frequent due to surge in online transactions in the post Covid era.
In an email outreach to subscribers, Gopal Vittal has urged users to remain vigilant about the calls made to them by cyber-fraudsters posing as an Airtel executive on the pretext of updating his Know Your Customer (KYC) form and duping them.
He has also elaborated upon the common instances of fraud like Fake UPI handles/website and Fake OTPs and listed down the precautions, every customer should take in order to safeguard themselves from the fraudsters.
Vittal's letter further elaborates upon the modus operandi for fake UPI handles/website and fake OTPs and listed down the precautions, every customer should take in order to safeguard themselves.
How the cyber fraudster works
The customers can get call or message from the fraudster claiming to be from a bank/financial institution and asks for account details or an OTP to unblock/renew the existing bank account.
The details are then used to withdraw money from the customer’s bank account.
Vittal urgee Airtel customers to pay heed and proceed with care and not share any financial or personal information like customer ID, MPIN, OTP etc over the phone.
Fake UPI apps, ecommerce websites
On similar lines, Vittal cautioned the users about the fake UPI apps and ecommerce websites which appear authentic in design through the usage of NPCI, BHIM words and logos.
If a customer downloads one of these [fake UPI apps, ecommerce websites], he will be asked to enter all his bank details as well as his MPIN thereby granting the fraudster in question complete access to your bank details.
Vittal said customers must avoid such suspicious websites and apps and avoid sharing any confidential information via email or through a click on any suspicious link in the email, even if the request seems to be from authorities like the Income Tax Department, Visa or MasterCard, etc.”
Vittal also suggested using `Airtel Safe Pay' describing it as a ''very sound way'' to avoid fraud.
Airtel Safe Pay
Airtel Safe Pay is the safest method of paying online in the country, and provides an additional layer of security for every transaction, he said.
“Before you actually make a payment, our network intelligence throws up a message asking you to confirm the transaction. And the money only leaves your account once we have received your approval, thereby ensuring you are not vulnerable to fraudsters,'' he wrote.
To be on Airtel Safe Pay, users need to open an Airtel Payments bank account.
