News Technology SMS Scam: How hackers are stealing your data and steps to protect your device

SMS Scam: How hackers are stealing your data and steps to protect your device

Hackers are now impersonating the telecom department to steal your personal data and also money.

SMS Scam Image Source : PIXABAYSMS Scam

Hackers always find some way to trick users and steal their personal information, and also money in some cases. Recently, con artists in Andhra Pradesh deceived a retired teacher, into giving them access to her bank account, where they took 21 lakh. Nowadays, Numerous people in India have reported seeing something similar. Hackers are now pretending to be the telecom division in order to steal your financial information and personal data. 

According to Twitter, a user by name of Roshan Kumar,  he received a message saying,” Dear customer, Your Device is Probably Infected with Botnet Malware. Please visit http://cyberswachhtakendra.gov.in to make corrections in accordance with the Government of India's Cyber Swachhta Project. So, if you also got a message like that, just disregard it. Actually, we advise that you simply remove it right away. 

Scammers are utilising this as simply one more method to break into your smartphone and steal all of your sensitive information. Moreover, the telecom department won’t send such random/ personal messages if it wants to inform customers about certain matters. Instead, it will make an official announcement. Furthermore, no one transmits communications with viruses in that manner. 

So, if you got a message like that, don’t just click the link. In fact, it’s also possible that downloading the link can infect your computer with malware, enabling criminals to access your account and steal your personal information. 

The Department of Telecommunications (Dot) replied to Kumar's tweet by saying that the message had been forwarded to the relevant TSP/ Division for further action. Reliance Jio also marked the mail as phoney and advised consumers never to click on such dangerous links. “The word “Jio” will always appear in the sender Id of any SMS messages that jio sends to you. In the same Twitter thread, Jio said, "Examples include JioNet, JioHRC, JioPBL, and JioFBR. The business added, “Please be on the lookout for spam letters and scammers, and do not click the provided link. 

So, if you too have received a similar message, bear the following in mind: 

  • Verify the sender’s name on the mail. If Dot sends such a message, Dot-related terms will appear in the sender’s name. 
  • Never click on the links that don’t appear to be correct.
  • Additionally, avoid clicking on the links supplied to you by an unknown sender.
  • Never send such communications to other people.
  • If you get a message that sounds similar, just delete it right away.
  • Read the URL carefully before clicking on any such links. Avoid being confused by the gov.in domain. The Indian government does not own every gov. in domain. So be careful.