Scammers have devised a new tactic to con unsuspecting victims out of their money. An employee of the Indian e-commerce firm Meesho, Shikhar Saxena, recently received a message that appeared to be from the CEO, Vidit Aatrey. However, upon closer inspection, Saxena realised that the message was a scam. The fraudulent message requested that Saxena purchase a gift for a client via Paytm, promising reimbursement. Several individuals from different companies reported receiving similar messages.
Scammers are now adopting a more conversational approach on WhatsApp rather than using direct links to defraud victims. The messages end with a request for payment, usually through popular communication channels like WhatsApp and Paytm.
In a related incident, a woman from Gurugram lost over INR 8 lakh in a work-from-home scam. The scammer had sent a message on WhatsApp, offering an opportunity to earn money by subscribing to a YouTube channel. The victim subscribed to two channels and was then contacted by a receptionist who promised profits in exchange for completing assigned tasks. However, the victim did not receive any profit and lost a significant amount of money.
