Akshaj Gupta
Picture this: You pick up the phone and the voice on the other end says, “Congratulations! You’ve won the lottery! It’s your lucky day! You’ve bagged a handsome prize of 1 crore rupees! Now, to claim the money, please the provide your credit card detail so we can transfer the amount. Thank you!”
What do you next? Believe it? Hopefully not. But if you do, you might end up in the same situation as a businessman in Hyderabad. This poor guy got a letter congratulating him on winning a shiny new Honda Amaze car. All he had to do was pay a small registration free. East, right? Well as scams go, it wasn’t just the car—soon, he was shelling out cash for “redemption fees,” “Vehicle registration,” “insurance,” and “tax clearance.” By the time he was figured out he was duped, he’d lost a staggering 17 lakh rupees.
And it’s not just this businessman—scams like this are happening all over India. We’re talking tens of millions of daily. So, what’s the root cause of this? The culprit, as always, is technology. It’s everywhere, infants, children, adults, and even grandma and grandpa are all glued to social media. We can’t even focus long enough to read a full sentence without checking our phones, right? And, scammers? They’ve noticed. They’ve figured out that our short attention spans make us perfect targets for their innovative (read: predatory) tactics.
Here’s the kicker: In just three months, Indians lost 1570 crore rupees to scams. Complaint numbers? Up 300%. And it’s not just adults getting caught—kids and teens are being targeted too. Yes, teens. They might be good at TikTok dances, but they are not exactly financially literate.
Scams have gotten so rampant, it’s almost become a stereotype. And of course, it’s turned into an international joke. Why is India the poster child for scamming? There are scammers everywhere people, people. It’s not like India invented it. The country has a population of 1.42 billion—if just 0.1% are, that’s still 10 lakh people. It’s also a matter of digital literacy—or lack of it. While India is rapidly digitalizing, many senior citizens (15 crore to be precise) remain digitally illiterate and are easy prey for these fraudsters.
But hey, not all hope is lost. You can definitely outsmart these scammers with a little digital savvy. Here’s how:
Use Truecaller: This app is a game-changer. It can help you identify scam calls and prevent you from into their trap. It’s perfect for people who aren’t tech whizzes.
Report it: If you’re suspicious of a call, don’t just hang up and forget about it—report it! You can file a complaint on ReportFraud.ftc.gov or call the Indian Cybercrime helpline number 1930. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Keep your information to yourself: If someone asks for sensitive information—bank details, credit card numbers, or the name of your first pet—hang up. Block that number. Seriously, protect your privacy like a gold mine.
Stay alert, stay informed, and remember—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Writer Akshaj Gupta is a student.
