With the Indian Premier League (IPL) season going on in full swing, scammers have started to target people in Himachal Pradesh by sending them fake links for booking cricket match tickets, duping them of their money.
According to the state’s police, scammers have been luring people into booking tickets for matches through fake websites, which appear almost identical to genuine official websites.
These links are being shared via advertisements on various social media platforms. Once clicked, the scammer gets access to sensitive data of the victim such as their personal and financial details, which are then being used for financial frauds and identity theft.
Police said the cybercrime helpline number-1930 has been continuously receiving complaints over the past few days regarding online fraud in the name of cricket match ticket booking. Cyber criminals are creating fake websites, almost identical to the original ones, to mislead the people.
“Preliminary investigation has revealed that most people are reaching these fake websites through advertisements or shared links on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms and are subsequently becoming victims of cyber fraud while booking tickets. Since the appearance of these websites closely resembles official platforms, it has become difficult for the people to distinguish between genuine and fake websites” said a senior police officer.
“Apart from this, people are also being cheated through social media in the name of online lotteries, money-doubling schemes, high-return investment offers and other attractive deals. Complaints related to such frauds are also continuously received on 1930” he said.
Alerting the people to be aware of this ongoing scam, people have been advised to thoroughly verify the authenticity of any website or application before making any online ticket booking, investment, lottery participation, or other financial transactions. “Use only official websites and trusted platforms and avoid clicking on unknown links, advertisements, or suspicious messages” he added.
People have also been appealed to immediately inform the police by dialling 1930 or emergency number 112, in case they suspect online fraud or become a victim of cybercrime, so that timely action can be taken to secure the money involved and ensure effective legal action against cyber criminals.
