No matter how tech-savvy you are, anyone can fall victim to online scams. Google is dedicated to safeguarding users like you from these ever-evolving threats. Scam trends are actively monitored and analyzed by our Trust & Safety teams to identify and stop them from harming our users. We provide an online fraud and scams advisory to spread the word about the dangers and the most recent strategies utilized by criminals and con artists. We also believe in equipping you with the information and resources you need to protect yourself online. In this spirit, we have compiled a list of the most recent scam trends in India as well as some useful advice to help you stay away from them.
Exploitation of Major Events
Scammers are getting better at taking advantage of big events. They use AI to create new types of scams and improve methods they already know how to use. Swindlers in India frequently target religious and major festivals, such as Diwali, by utilizing fictitious donation schemes and fraudulent travel bookings during these peak times of charitable giving and travel. Scams involving e-commerce and travel Swindlers create bogus websites that appear to be retail, travel, and shopping websites. Scam activity can be at its highest during major festival seasons in India, particularly in the autumn, when Diwali, Dussehra, Navratri, and Dhanteras are celebrated.
Swindlers copy popular e-commerce and travel booking websites convincingly, frequently taking advantage of people’s trust in UPI payment systems to target festival shoppers as well as bookings for religious pilgrimages. Fraud in Tech Support for Remote Access Scammers impersonate well-known banks, government agencies, and technical support staff. By claiming that there is a problem with your device, account, or online security, they elicit a sense of urgency. They frequently employ convincing technical language and websites that closely resemble legitimate support pages.
Job Scams
Scammers sometimes target job seekers with promises of high-paying remote work and international opportunities. It can be particularly challenging to identify these fraudulent job offers because they may appear on legitimate job sites and social media platforms. Apps for predatory loans People who are looking for quick access to money are the target of fraudulent lending apps, which promise quick, simple loans with minimal paperwork. Scammers in India operate sophisticated networks that routinely take advantage of borrowers. These apps frequently give out loans without asking for them and make it hard to pay them back with high interest rates. Once installed, they gain access to users’ contact lists and personal data, which scammers then use for aggressive harassment and extortion, including threats to share edited photos with victims’ contacts.
To prevent online scams, a collaborative approach is necessary, as malicious actors are constantly changing their tactics. Our proactive capabilities are growing, our detection and enforcement methods are getting better, and our policies to protect users are getting stronger. Additionally, we will do everything in our power to keep you abreast of the most recent scammer trends and strategies. By reporting scams on our platforms, you can assist us.
