Farmers, women cautioned against cyber frauds

Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil on Friday (March 20) warned farmers and women to remain vigilant against online scammers.

In a statement, the SP said scammers are targeting beneficiaries of such schemes as PM Kisan and Annadata Sukhibhava, wherein the benefit is credited to their bank accounts. He said cybercriminals posing as officials are making calls claiming that scheme amounts have been credited and seeking ATM card details, PINs or OTPs for “verification”.

In some cases, they are sending fraudulent links through SMS or WhatsApp, asking users to update KYC details or confirm payments, leading to financial losses, Mr. Patil said.

The SP advised farmers not to share OTPs, bank account details or personal information with unknown callers. He also cautioned them against clicking on suspicious links and urged them to verify fund transfers through bank passbooks or official government websites.

Farmers were asked to approach nearby Rythu Seva Kendras or agriculture officials for assistance. In case of cyber fraud, victims should immediately dial 1930 or file complaints on the national cybercrime portal.