Bulk SMSes: Cops tell telcos to ban them as innocent people are being duped by fraudsters
Considering the rising trend of fraudsters sending bulk SMSes introducing bogus schemes to people and duping them, the Cyber Crime Cell (CCC) of Pune police has written to four telecom companies asking them to ban the bulk SMS service.
“Considering the present alarming trend of fraudsters duping people through such SMSes, we have requested a ban on the service. This will save a number of people from getting cheated,” deputy commissioner of police Sanjay Shinde (cyber) told dna. The fraudsters send forged bulk SMSes regarding bank loans, lotteries, jobs and business proposals to people and relieve them of lakhs of rupees.
Shinde is of the opinion that they can not ask for SMS descriptions from the telecom companies. As a result, the fraudsters take advantage of it and continue sending the SMSes to people. “We have identified some of the telecom service providers which the fraudsters mostly use. If the bulk SMS service is stopped, the forged SMS will not be sent to people and stop further damage.”
According to the CCC statistics, over 50 such cases of such bulk SMSes are being registered every year in the city. Explaining the modus operandi, Shinde said, “Once a person responds to a fraud SMS regarding any scheme, the fraudsters make a phone call to that person. They explain them the importance of that particular scheme. Once they win the customer’s confidence, they send their bank account number and ask him to deposit money in that account. As soon as they get the money, they block his further calls.”
Shinde said awareness amongst people is crucial in curbing the crime. People don’t understand the fraudsters’ trap.
For example, there are cases where a person has not bought a lottery ticket and if he gets an SMS saying “you have won a lottery”, the person believes it and deposits money in the fraudsters’ account.
Shinde said awareness amongst people is crucial in curbing the crime. People don’t understand the fraudsters’ trap. For example, there are cases where a person has not bought a lottery ticket and if he gets an SMS saying “you have won a lottery”, the person believes it and deposits money in the fraudster’s account.
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