Criminals use 3G as bait to swindle cellphone users

After the Centre raked in over 37,000 crores for licencing the 3G spectrum, crooks have moved in to bundle off some from gullible cell phone users using the new service as bait — and the scheme is as devious as it is outlandish.

On a recent afternoon, Neelam Mehra (name changed), 21, an Andheri resident, received a call from an executive of the service provider, who asked her to switch off her phone for an hour so that the 3G service could be activated. Excited about the prospect of faster internet browsing, Neelam did not think twice about complying. Little did she know that it would turn out to be the most harrowing 60 minutes for her family.

Moments later, her father received a call informing that his daughter has been kidnapped. The caller asked him to deposit Rs10 lakh in a given bank account within an hour. Taken aback, the father tried to call Neelam, but his fear turned into panic when he found the phone switched off. 

When he received a call a few minutes later, he negotiated the ransom to Rs5 lakh; but the caller insisted it be deposited in cash within an hour.

As the parents were scurrying to a nearby bank, their daughter’s curiosity ended up saving the day. Impatient to check out the new service, Neelam switched on her phone before the hour was up. She was bewildered to find tens of missed calls from her father, and immediately called back.

Experts say such a scam is possible only if the callers have access to an in-depth database: age, income, phone numbers of relatives. What is worrying, however, is that many unscrupulous elements do have this access, and are misusing it. IT security expert Sahir Hidayatullah from Miel E-Security said, “This latest scam has become a trend. The timing is the key, as people are not yet aware of how 3G works.”

Neelam’s family did not register a police complaint. An officer said, “We are aware of something like this happening, but action can be taken only if someone registers a case. What is noteworthy is anyone can now extort money even without actually kidnapping anyone.”