Financial scams are on the rise in India, and scammers are finding new ways to cheat people out of their hard-earned money. Recently, a government school teacher in Agra, Malti Verma, tragically passed away after being targeted in a four-hour digital extortion attempt. The incident took place in Shahganj Albatiya when a man, pretending to be a police inspector during a WhatsApp call, falsely claimed that Verma's daughter was involved in a serious situation and demanded Rs 1 lakh for her release. Both government and private telecom companies are taking steps to combat financial fraud through spam calls.
However, as scammers develop new methods, it's crucial to educate people about these scams to protect them from falling victim to such schemes. The Telecom regulatory authority of India is cautioning telecom users in India about a new type of scam in the name of offers for mobile tower installation.
According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), neither TRAI nor the Department of Telecommunications issue any "No Objection Certificate" or permission letter for leasing or renting premises for installing mobile towers. They have warned people about individuals or companies asking for money in exchange for installing mobile towers on their property.
TRAI also mentioned that a mobile tower can be installed by a Telecom Service Provider (TSP) or Infrastructure Provider (IP-1) according to their licensing and registration conditions. They advise people to verify the authenticity of TSP/IP-1 from the Department of Telecommunications website before considering any offers.
Anyone found fraudulently involved in activities like taking advance payments in the name of installing mobile towers using TRAI's name, logo, or recommendations may face legal action.
How tower fraud works:
- 1. Scammers pretend to be government officials, engineers, or surveyors.
- 2. They advertise in print or social media, or send SMS messages to solicit victims.
- 3. People fall for the scam and respond to the ads, SMS, or calls.
- 4. Scammers have frequent phone conversations with their victims.
- 5. They send fake documents to gain the victim's trust.
- 6. Then, they ask for money in the form of registration fees or security deposits.
- 7. Finally, victims transfer the money to the scammer's bank account or wallet, and the scammers quickly withdraw the funds and disappear.
