The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant influence on people’s lives. While individuals are struggling to recover from an unexpected disaster, fraudsters take full advantage of the situation.
Due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, which has resulted in an increase in COVID-19 cases, the Indian government has begun delivering preventive dosages to persons over the age of 60. While efforts are being made to limit the number of cases, scammers are creating new schemes. In the latest COVID booster shot scam, fraudsters posing as doctors are attempting to fool people and steal their bank account information. The crooks are attempting to deceive the people in the following ways:
As previously indicated, criminals impersonating health experts call people, especially the elderly, and claim that the preventative booster is only available to seniors at this moment. The fraudsters then inquire whether the individual has taken the second dose, as well as their address, phone number, and other personal information. Surprisingly, in some cases, the caller already knows all of the necessary information, including the date of the Covid-19 vaccination.
After acquiring all of the information, the con artists follow up to see if anyone is interested in obtaining a booster shot and if they want to book a slot. Once the immunization date and time were confirmed, they sent an OTP to the mobile number. Scammers may also ask you to download software, such as AnyDesk, to help with the booking process. The OTP is simply a key in a phishing scam, used to validate a money transfer from the victim’s bank account. Once you provide the OTP, all funds from your bank account are transferred.
According to research, the claimed scam is most common in rural areas, where the elderly are unfamiliar with how online banking, UPI, or smartphone apps for vaccine slot booking function. Scammers try to trick consumers into providing the OTP in return for a quick money transfer.
Some Are Some Steps to Protect Yourself From Vaccine Booster Scam
Spam/fake phone calls Staying alert will help you avoid fraud, whether you’re booking COVID slots or using internet banking. The most important thing to understand is that the government does not allow you to arrange immunization appointments over the phone. The only way to make a vaccination schedule is to go to the Cowin portal or download the Arogya Setu app. Even if you are unable to schedule an appointment online, you can acquire the vaccine by visiting any immunization center and registering. When acquiring an OTP, it is recommended that you carefully read the message before proceeding. Second, download call filter apps that indicate whether a caller is spam or not.
