Fake alert! Here's how two techies duped people on pretext of getting them IAF jobs
Two techies allured people to a fake IAF job portal and siphoned off small amounts of money before being caught. here's how they did it and tips to spot fake website.
The Delhi Police has nabbed two techies for during at least 400 people on the pretext of providing jobs in the Indian Air Force (IAF). The accused have been identified as Mahender Singh (30) and Vikash Swami (28). Both had done Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) from Rajgarh near Churu in Rajasthan, police said.
The duo allured people to their fake portal and siphoned off small amounts of money from each one of them before being caught.
Here's how they did it:
Fake portal: The two techies created a fake website of the department 'www.airforce.onlinerectt.in'. The website displayed advertisements for recruitment in the Indian Air Force. The alleged website had similar pages and images as available on IAF's official website, Anyesh Roy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber) told news agency PTI.
Small amounts: During interrogation, the accused disclosed that in order to make easy money, they hatched a conspiracy to cheat unsuspecting people online in the name of recruitment them to the IAF, Roy said. The accused used to demand small amounts so that the victims would not become suspicious and complain to the police.
Bank details: The techies were careful not to ask people to deposit money directly into their bank accounts. They asked people to pay it through online payment channels instead.
Racket bust and arrest: The Delhi Police cyber cell came into action after receiving a tip that someone had created a fake portal of 'www.airforce.onlinerectt.in'. During the investigation, details of the website were collected and bank account linked with the payment gateway was also analysed which led to the identification of the accused. The accused were then arrested, the DCP said.
How to spot a fake website:
It can be easy to be lured into a trap using a fake website. The dupers often create a lookalike website, which can be difficult to tell apart from the original one. Sometimes, online cheaters even use fake bank websites to collect sensitive financial information from users and steal money.
But if you keep a few points in mind, you will never fall into the trap of fake website ever again, be it a job site or a fake financial website.
Alert: More often then not, a browser's inbuilt firewalls will warn you before entering into a site. If you this alert, do not proceed. Even if you are familiar with the site, it is possible that the link has been attacked by the virus which can affect your computer or device software once you visit it.
URL: A website's URL is always unique. If it is a fake website then its URL will be slightly off. The key is in the details. Look closely at the spellings. One or the other word would be misspelled or would have '0' (zero) instead of 'o' (letter O) or number '1' instead of letter 'l' (L). For example 'yah00.com' or 'goog1e.com'.
Security certificate: When you open a link, always check if its URL begins with https:// or just http:// (no S). The S in https:// stands for secure and indicates that the website uses encryption to transfer data, protecting it from hackers. Even though a security certificate can be bought online, but a fake phishing website is not likely to have one. Always check the beginning of the URL for the security certificate before entering any sensitive information.
English spellings and grammar: Ever noticed spam emails seem to be written by a child. The poor English in spam emails is not a mistake, it is intended that way. Poor grammar and misspellings make it hard for search engines and firewalls to filter content. Always make sure that you check the website's language before trusting it. Being a Grammer Nazi can save you money and time.
Contact information: It is always better to seek actual contact before engaging in virtual trust. If you find the website fishy or you are about to give away money or personal information, check the contact information. Look for several ways to contact the company (phone, email, live chat, physical address) and try them out. If no one answers the phone, or you get a prerecorded message or if the only method of contact is an online email form, proceed with caution.
Secure payment gateways: In the online universe and in the physical world, always choose the safe payment method. Stay cautious of the ones which ask you to do a direct money transfer, money order or any direct payment method.