Beware of Scammers During Durga Puja and Navratri Celebrations
Durga Puja and Navratri are festivals celebrated by millions of people all over India and elsewhere with immense enthusiasm and fervour. These celebrations bring families and communities together, but they also attract the attention of online scammers who want to exploit the spirit of the celebration for their own benefit. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the various online scams that may appear and take proactive steps to ensure online safety.
There are some popular scams that happen during such a period. One of them is a fake donation scam. Fraudsters often create fake charity websites and social media accounts, presenting them as platforms for donations for various festival-related causes. They take advantage of the goodwill of individuals during these times. To be safe, people should be careful and only participate in well-known and established organizations. They can verify the authenticity of any charity or donation request by checking official registration information.
Second, people should be wary of unsolicited emails offering exclusive festival offers, discounts or contest invitations. These emails may contain links or attachments that may lead to phishing sites or deliver malware. Before clicking on these emails or downloading such attachments, people should check the source of the email. A good practice is to hover over links to preview their destinations without clicking on them.
Festive shoppers are often looking for attractive deals, and fraudsters take advantage of this by setting up fraudulent e-commerce sites. These websites mimic genuine online stores, but are designed to deceive unsuspecting customers. Before making online purchases, people need to make sure that the website is legitimate and safe. In this case, going through Customer Reviews or social media posts about the website can help determine whether people should buy from the platform or not.
Fraudsters create fake profiles and pages on social media platforms and pose as legitimate organizations or individuals to promote fake contests, giveaways or events related to the festival. It is important to be careful when sharing personal information or clicking on suspicious links. People should verify the authenticity of social media accounts and the legitimacy of offers by checking official verification marks, reviewing their posts, and familiarizing themselves with trusted sources.
Since festivals have several technical aspects, such as ticket booking, streaming events and online stores, scammers can pose as a tech support agent. They may call or send pop-up messages claiming to offer help. However, it should be noted that without confirming the legitimacy of the support service, people should not share their personal information or grant remote access to their devices. It is always possible to contact the service provider’s official support channels if someone needs help.
Emails or messages asking for payment or personal information in exchange for festival-themed digital gift cards or vouchers should be treated with skepticism. Legitimate gift cards are usually sold by reputable retailers and are not distributed through spam. Avoid sharing sensitive information and verify the authenticity of the offer by independently verifying it with the retailer.
In many cases, scammers use emotional manipulation tactics during festivals, posing as friends or family members claiming to urgently need money for festival-related emergencies. Before sending money, it’s a good idea to verify the person’s identity through a separate reliable channel, such as a phone call or message. The tactic is not to rush to make payments based solely on the urgency of the request.
In addition, cyber experts advise people to be careful when using public Wi-Fi networks to enjoy the holiday season safely. Because scammers can easily hack into public Wi-Fi networks to steal personal information.
