Hold on a second before you dial that customer care number. Did you search for it online and hit the first number you found? Well, fraudsters have noticed this practice and are creating fake customer care numbers to steal personal information and even your money.
Customer care numbers of popular companies and brands have been modified online to dupe unsuspecting customers who may be looking for such information online. We’ll explain what these fraudsters do and how to protect yourself.
How do these fake customer care number scams work?
A woman in Gurgaon lost Rs. 16 lakhs when someone called her claiming to be her bank’s customer care service. A housewife in Kochi lost Rs. 77,000 after she dialed the supposed customer care number of a popular retail website that she had searched online. A woman in Mumbai searched for a customer care number on Google when she was facing issues with her e-wallet app. What popped up was a fake number that connected her to a fake customer care executive who asked for her UPI pin.
Many people have lost their money to these fraudsters, who go to great lengths to set up fake websites and videos and push their fake numbers/credentials on top of search results by using key search words. Some of them even go one step further and replace original numbers of banks, shops, or other establishments by editing contact details on Google Maps.
Twitter and Facebook are two other playgrounds being used by frauds to target people. If a customer tweets about an issue, these racketeers comment on it by providing fake contact details. One such example is this Facebook group claiming to be created by DMI Finance,
and a video that provides the supposed DMI Finance customer care number – both are fakes.
What can you do, if you become a victim?
If you find yourself in a situation where you may have been duped due to a fake customer care number, then immediately get in touch with your bank to get your accounts and cards blocked. Make sure to reach out to your bank only through official toll-free numbers or e-mail addresses provided on the official website.
In the case of e-wallet companies, food delivery apps, and e-commerce sites, send them an email on their official email IDs or check the help section on their apps. Most of them provide instant chat options on their apps and websites which can help you report any issue that you may be facing.
You may also choose to use social media to tag official handles of the respective companies and provide details such as the fake number, the name of the representative you may have spoken to, etc.
The Government of India has also introduced a national helpline number for reporting cyber frauds. You can dial 155260 to report the crime.
How can you protect yourself from getting scammed
Check and double-check contact details
Don’t simply Google the number. Search for the official website of the company you want to get in touch with and check the contact details on their website or mobile application. DMI Finance, for instance, offers support across various modes of communication. The official DMI Finance customer care helpline number is 08064807777. You can also leave us a message on the DMI WhatsApp number +91 9350657100 or send an email at the DMI customer care email ID customercare@dmifinance.in
Don’t share your details
Do not share sensitive information, under any circumstances, such as your bank account number, OTP, ATM pin, CVV, and banking passwords with anyone else over the phone or email.
Be social media aware
If you are raising an issue on social media platforms like Twitter, make sure that you are using the official handles of the companies or brands that you are addressing.
These are the official social media handles of DMI Finance:
Also, do not respond if you find Direct Messages (DMs) from those claiming to be customer care executives of these companies.
Remember, it is better to be safe than sorry! To learn more about the different types of scams, keeping data protected, and being safe online, check out the DMI cyber security blog: https://www.dmifinance.in/blog.html
