New traps for fraud are being created all over the country by scammers every day. Starting from online payment apps to credit cards, nothing is completely safe. Anyone can become a victim of cyber-attacks. One of the latest methods being used by scammers is the e-sim scam. The new addition to cyber-crime is e-SIM scams.
Any mobile user in the country can lose everything in e-SIM scams. The central government has also issued a warning message about this. In this case, it is not necessary to know any kind of OTP or ATM related information. All the information of the customers is reaching the hands of the fraudsters with just one click. Several such allegations have come to the fore recently. After this, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center, an organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued a warning message to the citizens of the country.
How do the fraudsters work?
According to a report by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C), mobile phone users of various age-groups are being targeted. The fraudsters are talking about activating the e-SIM of the customers by calling them. An activation link is also being sent to the phone. And by clicking on it, the mobile phone user is ‘trapped’.
Physical SIM is automatically converted to an e-SIM
According to that report, by clicking on the link sent by the fraudsters, the physical SIM is automatically converted to an e-SIM. And as soon as that happens, fraudsters take control over your device. All the confidential information starting from your passwords to bank’s OTP can easily be accessed by cyber criminals. In this way fraudsters are stealing several important information of the customers.
What is an e-SIM?
An e-SIM is an embedded SIM. Basically, it is a digital version of the normal SIM in the smartphone. This e-SIM is hidden in the smartphone or smart watch, that is, in the relevant device. It cannot be removed.
How to avoid the e-sim trap?
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre has issued a warning asking users to not click on any suspicious link even by mistake. It has also been said to be careful with the phone. Even then, if the network on the phone suddenly goes down, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre has also issued a message asking customers to immediately contact their bank or mobile service provider.
>> Cybercriminals obtain a duplicate SIM for your mobile number, giving them access to your bank accounts and personal information.
>> If you receive any suspicious call or message asking you to switch to an eSIM, ignore it immediately.
>> Never Share OTPs or Passwords: Sharing these details allows cybercriminals to deactivate your existing SIM and activate a new one in their control.
>> Protect your documents: Only share personal documents when necessary, and always mark the purpose of sharing on the document to prevent misuse.
>> If you encounter any suspicious calls, messages, or emails, report them to the Government of India’s Chakshu portal.