During summer holidays, messages like ‘Summer Sale’, ‘90% Off’, ‘Flipkart Big Saving Days’ and ‘Amazon Great Indian Festival’ are coming everywhere on WhatsApp. Out of greed, many people click on these links and lose their bank details, OTP or personal information. This is a huge online shopping scam, in which fraudsters are robbing people in the name of fake discounts.

How does this scam work?
Thugs send fake messages, like- ‘Amazon Summer Sale! 90% Off on iPhone 15 for just ₹15,999. Click on the link now. After clicking on the link, you are taken to a fake website, which looks exactly like the real Amazon or Flipkart. There you are asked to enter your mobile number, OTP, bank details or UPI PIN.

As soon as you enter the details, fraudsters withdraw money from your account.

Identify fake links like this

1. Excessive discounts: Offers like 80-90% off are mostly fake.
2. Message from unknown number: Genuine Amazon or Flipkart never send links from unknown numbers.
3. Short and strange links: Links look different from amazon.in or flipkart.com (like amzon-sale.in or flipkart-offer.net).
4. Haste: Things like ‘for limited time’, ‘today is the last day’ are written.
5. Grammar mistakes: There are mistakes in English or Hindi in the message.

How to protect yourself?

• Never click on unknown links. Check directly by opening the official app or website.
• Never share OTP or bank details.
• Report and block the link on WhatsApp.
• Must apply 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) on your bank account and UPI.
• If the money is gone, immediately call the bank and lodge a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in or 1930.

90% of the offers coming in the name of summer sale are mostly fake. It is better to be cautious rather than losing your hard-earned money by falling prey to greed. Always shop from official apps and stay away from unknown links. A little caution can save both your pocket and your mental peace.