A new scam is emerging in the country in which fraudsters are duping people of money by threatening them of illegal use of their SIM cards. The latest victim of this scam is a 31-year-old resident of Hyderabad, who was duped of Rs 11.20 lakh. The victim lost his money after he received a call from fraudsters posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The scam reportedly began when the victim received a call from an unknown person who told him that his mobile number was at the risk of being blocked. According to a TOI report, the caller threatened the victim by saying that another SIM card had been issued in his name, which was allegedly linked to a harassment case registered with the Mumbai police.

To make the situation look more legitimate, the fraudsters forwarded the call via Skype to “Mumbai Police”. On this call, the victim was told that he was connected to a money laundering case involving Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. The alleged police officials claimed that arrest warrants and freezing orders had been issued against him and that his bank account details needed to be submitted to the Supreme Court for inspection.

To scare the victim further, the fraudsters made the matter even more serious and warned him not to tell anyone about the matter as it was “under the supervision of the Supreme Court.” Under this pressure and after receiving repeated phone calls from officials and the alleged police, the victim accepted their demands and transferred Rs 11.20 lakh in two installments.

However, the fraud came to light when the fraudsters demanded an additional Rs 2 lakh for the “procedure”, which made the victim suspicious. The victim then informed his family, who advised him to report the incident to the authorities.

Following this, the victim lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad Cyber ​​Crime Police, which has begun investigating the matter.

Notably, this case is another example of a growing trend of sophisticated scams, in which scammers leverage fear, urgency, and official threats to defraud victims.

How to stay safe from SIM card scam:

• Always double-check the authenticity of anyone you contact, especially if they are asking about sensitive information or urgent financial transactions.
• Keep in mind that official organisations like TRAI or the police will not ask for personal or financial information over the phone.
• Scammers often try to create a sense of pressure to make you make hasty decisions. Think carefully before making any move and seek advice from trusted people.
• Never share your personal, banking or other sensitive information with unknown callers.
• If you suspect you are being scammed, contact your local police or cyber crime unit immediately. Reporting the incident can help prevent others from falling victim to similar fraud.