Scammers have found a new avenue for frauding unsuspecting victims: Google Maps. Google Maps are used by millions of users every day to find a place to eat or to help users plan out their journey. However, Google Maps has become the most recent platform for a simple yet effective scam. Fraudsters in India have been caught manipulating the data that Google displays on its Maps to scam users out of money.
In a country that’s adding 10 million first-time internet users a month, it looks like unscrupulous individuals are waiting to take advantage of these users’ gullibility. In India, where booze delivery is quite common, people are being tricked to mint money.
The information was first spotted by a Twitter user who faced such instances. The Google Maps listings of liquor stores across India are flooded with thousands of images with phone numbers, seemingly promising home delivery for an advance payment.
The Twitter user @DrunkenPandaman said that thousands of images on Google have similar phone numbers, which absolutely hints something is fishy. When called to these numbers, the person taking the call promises to make booze delivery at the doorstep only if the payment is made online and in advance.
It seems that people have been tricked many times as instances of some businesses taking steps have been found to warn their customers. The scams no doubt has been flourishing, but how is this possible?
People in India use the internet, but there is still unawareness and a lack of understanding across the country, which could be one primary reason. On the other hand, there are also several first-time internet users on the smartphone, which causes an inability to a complete understanding of technology, making them much vulnerable to online fraudulence.
Google did address the issue, commenting that they are always working on new and better ways to fight such problems and also trying to keep their information up to date. Well, Google is not to blame alone.
Recently, fraudsters have been changing the contact details listed for banks on the app. Then, when unsuspecting bank customers ring up what they think is their financial institution, the scammers extract their private banking details and use it to empty their accounts.
Yes, a big reason to cringe. While the internet has been convenient, it has also been the cause of mayhem for many. Thus, using the internet wisely is always recommended.
