Mumbai lawyer duped of Rs 44,000 for ordering beer online: Here’s how to remain safe

People losing money to fraudsters who pose as bank officials and show fear of having their debit cards or accounts blocked has become a common phenomenon. There have also been reports of people being duped while attempting to purchase a used item on reselling sites such as Olx. But have you heard of someone getting defrauded while buying a beer online? In a startling cyber fraud incident, a Mumbai-based young lawyer lost a whopping amount of Rs 44,782 in multiple transactions to a scamster posing as the owner of a wine shop. The lawyer was attempting to order beer online for home delivery.

The lawyer was reportedly looking for a beer shop phone number online, and then when he found one and called, the scamster tricked him into paying for two bottles first. Then he requested additional payments via QR codes for generating bills and promised to refund the money. Under the guise of returning the money, the fraudster duped the lawyer into making multiple payments by sending QR codes for specific payments.

The victim did what the scamster asked him to do until he smelled something fishy, but then it was already late as the lawyer had transferred over Rs 44,000 to the con artist. The scammer eventually stopped answering calls and blocked the lawyer's phone number. The lawyer then reportedly filed a police complaint.

Here’s how to remain safe from such frauds:

1. Never ever make payments through QR codes sent on WhatsApp.

2. Don’t make any advance payments if you call an unknown number to order something online. If at all possible, go shopping.

3. Always order things from trusted and certified websites.

4. If you have still committed any mistake and lost money to cybercriminals, call 1930 immediately and share the transaction details so that the money can be saved.

Also Read: Dhanteras 2022: Shopping online? Here's a step-by-step guide on how to stay away from online scams