As the domain of social media has been expanding day by day, several users tend to use such platforms to flag their concerns with several service providers. Similar is the case with people using banking and other financial services. There are many people who use Facebook and Twitter to reach out to banks and raise the issues they face with the services on a public platform.
However, there are times when SOS tweets by consumers get replies from frauds, who pose as genuine customer service handles/accounts and try to secure details of customers which may lead to fraudulent transactions from their accounts. This is the latest fraud that has been happening around for some time through social media.
The modus operandi of the fraudsters first includes the formation of an account that resembles the original service help account on any social media platform. Twitter can be taken for example here. From there onwards, the fraud starts looking for issues raised by users of the respective banks. Following this, they reply below the tweet and ask to get in touch with them so that they can help resolve the issue.
Below is a screengrab of a similar fraud account which poses as ‘HDFC BANK CARE‘. In broken English, it is written, “We apologize on behalf of HDFC Bank, We are sorry About Your Concern Please Reach Us Our 24/7 Helpline No 9023323105 Any Issue for the inconvenience caused to you. to assist you better thanks you”
Here is a similar tweet from a fraud account posing to be from Kotak Mahindra Bank. Dear Customer, “We regret the inconvenience you have. Request you to share your contact number via DM and we shall get in touch with you at the Kotak Mahindra Bank customer support Calling four secondary numbers 9832450548.”
In the image below, it can be seen that an imposter is posing as the ICICI bank support executive and asking the consumer to share his details. In all these three different tweets, it is well discernible that the language and style used by all of them are the same.
Though these accounts appear to be fake looking at their broken English tweets and explicit display of numbers, people with less awareness may fall prey to such traps and may end up sharing sensitive details to the fraudsters who then leverage them to mulct customers and cause them financial losses. It is advisable for customers to carry out due diligence before trusting such online accounts and sharing their details with them.
OpIndia wrote to banks seeking details on how they have been working to ensure that their consumers remain safe from such frauds and what directives they adhere to teach about digital hygiene to their users. We are yet to receive an official response from HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank. The report will be updated when the banks respond.
