Someone calls you up a few days before your birthday, claims to be a telemarketing agent, and says you will be gifted an iPhone; they only ask you to pay the courier charge. If you thought that sounded too good to be true, you thought right.
In the last week of October, Shenbagavalli from Thiruvanmiyur received a call from a man claiming to be from a well-known telemarketing firm based in Delhi.
“He knew my birthday was in a few days and said the firm would gift me a high-end Samsung phone for being a valued customer. After taking down my address, he advised me to deposit Rs. 2,000 in an account and said I would receive a parcel,” said the homemaker, who had previously ordered products through telemarketing services.
A parcel in Shenbagavalli’s name landed at the local post office which she then collected after paying a fee. “I was shocked to realise the contents were only a framed photo of Lord Ganesha and a note spelling blessings,” said the 37-year-old woman.
Sources with the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the city police said they have received a few complaints on this new type of vishing fraud and are investigating. “In some cases, the conman called posing as a bank representative, and gathered the victim’s personal information. A few days later, another person contacted the victim, claiming to be from a telemarketing firm, and siphoned a few thousands,” said an officer with the CCB.
Some of the fraud’s victims, like Muralidharan, an accounts executive with a private firm in Ambattur, were asked to pay Rs. 1,500 to collect the parcel from the local courier agency. “The person who called me told me I had won an iPhone and a Rayban Aviator shades on the occasion of my wedding anniversary. I paid the money and collected the parcel only to find a few packets of incense sticks, some kumkum and a tiny stainless steel lamp inside,” he said.
The police have advised residents to understand that no agency would provide expensive gifts to random people. In case of encountering such vishing frauds or suspicious phone calls, residents are advised to seek police assistance.
