#ScamAlert: Don't let fake 'PM CARES' donation links fool you
What's the story
The spread of coronavirus (and the fear stemming from it) has led fraudsters on a hacking spree. Phishing email scams have risen by more than 600%, and according to a new warning from authorities in India, many con-artists are using fake links to the 'PM CARES' donation fund to dupe unsuspecting people. Here's all about their modus operandi.
Scam
Scammers using PM CARES to steal money
The PM CARES or Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund was started by the government of India to let people donate and help those working to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, soon after the fund was set up, fraudsters began creating fake, albeit seemingly authentic, links to trick people and steal money from them in the name of donation.
Issue
Pretty similar UPI IDs being used
According to the alarms raised by Indian authorities, including the Maharashtra Cyber Police and Press Information Bureau, the scammers are floating fake UPI IDs, which are slightly different from the original one, to trick people into paying money. You should note that the genuine UPI ID to donate for the fund is pmcares@sbi, while all others - from pmcare@sbi to pm.care@sbi - are fake.
Twitter Post
Here's the warning
#FraudAlert
โ Maharashtra Cyber (@MahaCyber1) April 3, 2020
The genuine UPI id is
๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ@๐ฌ๐๐ข with the registered account name being
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐#PMCares #UPI #CyberFrauds #BeSafeBeSecure #MahaCyber #StayCyberSafe https://t.co/XcDldL4FBa
Work
Work being done to disable these fake links
The officials have said that they are working to trace the fake PM CARES UPI links and get them disabled as soon as possible. Several such links have already been disabled, but if you run into a UPI link to donate by any chance, better check the ID diligently to ensure that your money is going to the right place, not to some fraudster.
Tips
Look for errors in UPI ID or account name
As mentioned before, the fake UPI IDs being floated around are quite similar to the genuine one. So, remember the authentic donation ID and account name - pmcares@sbi and PM CARES - and rule out everything else. If the payment is going to some other ID or account, with spelling changes or full stop/hyphen used in between, stop immediately; it is certainly fake.