Google Pay is right now India’s fastest growing UPI-only app for transactions and transferring money, and has beaten other apps such as BHIM and Paytm in the growth rate.
However, with the popularity comes the risks and dangers as well, which a Mumbai man recently discovered first hand.
Man Robbed Of Rs 96,000 While Using Google Pay
Last month, a 31-year old private employee from Mumbai opened Google Pay app to make a payment for his electricity bill.
Electricity bill is one of the most widely used features of Google Pay, as it directly links with the website of the state-electricity board, and alerts the users about any pending bill.
I too use Google Pay for paying the electricity bill, and its fast and smooth.
However, in the case of the Mumbai man, there was some issue with the payment, and the transaction failed.
Next thing he know, he was robbed of Rs 96,000.
Robbery Via Google Pay: Modus Operandi
When the man tried to search for customer care number of Google Pay on Google.com, he found a fake number, and called that number.
The fraudsters informed that the error which he received was a common thing, and sent the man a link to be clicked on his phone.
As soon as he clicked on the link, the man found Rs 96,000 transferred from this bank account, which was linked with Google Pay.
He immediately filed a complaint with Andheri police, and the case has been lodged.
As per the police officials, they are investigating the case, and prima facie, it seems that the fraudster is from Rajasthan.
Increasing Frauds Related With Fake Customer Care Numbers
In the last few months, we have witnessed several frauds, related with fake customer care numbers of popular apps.
And the trend is increasing.
In the month of July, a man from Indore lost Rs 2.2 lakh, while he ordered food from a popular food ordering app. Allegedly, he searched for a customer care number, and when he called, he was tricked into revealing OTP, which led to the digital robbery.
Similarly, a woman from Bengaluru lost Rs 95,000, when she contacted a fake customer care number from Swiggy, and the fraudsters tricked her into revealing sensitive information about her bank accounts.
It is advisable to only contact the customer care numbers mentioned in the app, and not use Google.com search engine to find them. Most probably, the numbers are fake.
Have you ever faced any such situation? Do let us know by commenting right here!