Online food order Application fraud

Online fraud is on rise in India. Our country becomes increasingly more digital by the day, and consumer expectations are shifting as a result. This opens up exciting new ways for brands to interact with customers. Full-service restaurants like TGI Fridays are seeing traction with their digital ordering apps, and grocery delivery services are now becoming the norm rather than the exception. But with this new foray into the digital world comes an increased risk for exploitation. Restaurants must be aware of not only the trends in online fraud but also of the most effective ways to protect themselves and their customers.

How did this happen?

On December 1, NV Sheik, a resident of Bengaluru’s Koramangala, simply used food delivery app Zomato on his phone to order a pizza for him.

As per police report, after waiting for an hour, his order had not been delivered so he looked up for the customer care service number for the app. After calling the number, he was allegedly informed that the restaurant was not accepting orders and was assured that a refund would be initiated soon.

The fraudsters posing as a customer care executive allegedly informed Sheik that he would receive a message on his phone after the call and after clicking on a link in the message, his refund request would be processed further.

The victim Sheik clicked on the link provided in the message and became a victim of a phishing expedition and as the  fraudsters were able to access his bank account details.

How much loss did the Victim face?

A per the report, in few minutes, Rs 45,000 had been deducted from one of his bank account and another Rs 50,000 had been deducted before he could transfer the remaining amount to a different account.

After that Mr Sheik approached the Madiwala police station in the city and filed a complaint with them. The case is under investigation now. The victim had reportedly been saving the money to pay for expenses of his mother’s cancer treatment.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. Never share your banking details like account number, UPI pin, CVV, OTP or such information with anyone claiming to be Zomato.
2. For any issues, use their in-app chat support only. They don’t have any official customer care number.
3. Never click on the link which is provided by fraudsters.
4. Know who you’re dealing with.
5. Pay through the safest way.
6. Check your credit reports regularly.
7. Keep financial data separate.
8. Keep your password secret.