Gandhinagar resident loses Rs 1.36 lakh in fake Amazon Customer Care OTP fraud
The Gandhinagar resident placed an order on Amazon on November 14. Later, he received a call on November 18 from an unknown person falsely claiming to be from Amazon
By Newsmeter Network
Hyderabad: A resident of Gandhinagar lost around Rs 1.36 lakh after he was duped by unidentified persons posing as Amazon Customer Care. The fraud was carried out by accessing the 62-year-old victim’s bank account after he shared an OTP, which the scammers claimed was for verification.
Case details
The Gandhinagar resident placed an order on Amazon on November 14. Later, he received a call on November 18 from an unknown person falsely claiming to be from Amazon, informing him that the order was cancelled due to a wrong delivery address.
Believing this, he placed a second order, which was not delivered on the expected date.
On November 22, he searched Google for Amazon Customer Care and contacted a toll-free number, which turned out to be fake. Soon after the call, he received WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers posing as Amazon support, who told him that his order would again be cancelled unless he deposited Rs 10 as verification. The fraudsters then asked him to share an OTP, claiming it was required for the Rs 10 verification, and the victim shared it, believing them.
Using this OTP, the fraudsters carried out unauthorised transactions, resulting in a total loss of Rs 1,36,890. A case has been registered and further investigation is on.
Public advisory: Beware of fake customer care numbers and OTP fraud
Citizens are advised to remain vigilant against scammers impersonating customer care representatives of reputed companies.
Here are some tips to avoid falling into their traps:
- Do not trust customer care numbers displayed on Google search results. Always use official app/website contact details.
- Never share OTPs, PINs, passwords or bank details with anyone over the phone/WhatsApp/SMS.
- Companies like Amazon never ask for money or OTPs for order verification, delivery confirmation, or refund processes.
- Do not accept WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers claiming to be customer support.
- If you receive suspicious calls, disconnect immediately and report the matter to authorities.
Who to call in case of cyber fraud
Report cyber frauds immediately on the 1930 helpline or www.cybercrime.gov.in. In case of any emergency regarding cyber fraud, please call or WhatsApp 8712665171.
Follow the Hyderabad Cyber Crime police on these links for the latest cyber awareness updates.
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