Man Loses Over Rs 5 Lakh in Online Scam After Falling Victim to Fake Uber Customer Care Number

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : Man Loses Over Rs 5 Lakh in Online Scam After Seeking Help from Fake Uber Customer Care Number

A man in India fell victim to an online scam after being charged an extra Rs 100 for an Uber trip. Seeking assistance, he called a customer care number that appeared in Google search results, only to find out that it was fake. As a result, he lost over Rs 5 lakh in the scam.

The victim, identified as Pradeep Chowdhary, took a cab to Gurugram for Rs 205, but was charged Rs 318 by Uber. The driver suggested that he could get a refund by calling customer care. Chowdhary found a number, ‘6289339056’, on Google, which redirected him to ‘6294613240’, and then to a person named Rakesh Mishra at ‘9832459993’.

Chowdhary explained, “Subsequently, he instructed me to download the ‘Rust Desk app’ from the Google Play Store. After that, he asked me to open PayTM and message ‘rfnd 112’ for the refund amount. When questioned about providing my phone number, he claimed it was for account verification.”

Unfortunately, the victim ended up transferring a total of Rs 5,53,873 to the scammers. Initially, Rs 83,760 was transferred to Atul Kumar, followed by four more transactions of Rs 4 lakhs, Rs 20,012, Rs 49,101, and other amounts. Three of the transactions were made through PayTM, while one was made via PNB Bank.

The incident has been reported to the police, who have filed an FIR under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code and section 66D of the Information Technology Act. An investigation is currently underway to track down the scammers and recover the lost funds.

In light of this incident, it is essential for users to be cautious when seeking assistance from customer care numbers found online. Scammers can manipulate search results and replace official business phone numbers with their fake ones. They do this by contributing false information to a business’s page, posing as the business itself. Until someone reports or realizes that the phone number is incorrect, the false number can remain on the Google business page.

To avoid falling victim to such scams, it is recommended to contact Uber India support through their official channels. Uber’s official website provides clear instructions on how to contact their support team in India. Users can access the support option by tapping on their profile, going to Help, selecting the trip they need assistance with, and choosing the issue they want to raise.

It is crucial for users to remain vigilant and verify the authenticity of customer care numbers before making any calls. By following the proper channels, users can ensure their safety and protect themselves from falling into the trap of scammers.

The police are urging the public to report any suspicious activities or scams to prevent others from becoming victims. As technology continues to evolve, it is essential for individuals to stay informed and educated about the latest scams and frauds to protect themselves and their hard-earned money..