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In Ganesh Chaturthi hackers are coming up with innovative means to take advantage of the holiday spirit of Indians. Fraudulent online idol retailers, fake lotteries, and scam shopping sites are some of the frauds that are perpetrated using social media, paid advertisements, and phishing websites on unsuspecting worshippers. As people rush to purchase eco-friendly idols, pooja kits, and festival presents, fraudsters are taking advantage of the trust and desperation.
Experts caution that scams during festivals increase each year due to the emotion and impulsive behaviour of people during the time of the festival. Fraudsters do not waste much time to take advantage of this vulnerability by offering what seem to be the best deals. Victims usually lose money and disclose personal information or even give out their banking details to criminals. These are the most common scams to watch out for during this Ganesh Chathurthi.
Eco-friendly idols are very popular, but scammers are taking advantage of this trend. They design bogus websites and social networks with beautiful clay idols which are being offered at a discounted price. The money is paid in advance, and victims either get low-quality idols or nothing. One example is a suspicious site with 25 percent discounts and sending buyers to WhatsApp directly, which is another sign of fraud.
Messages such as "You have won a Ganesh Chaturthi prize" or "Get special festival gifts" are in full flow. The victims are requested to send a little money as a processing fee or give personal information to redeem the alleged prize. In one such case, the scam lottery promised Rs 3 crore as the grand prize to take away the money and data of devotees.
Another trick is fraudulent shopping sites. Criminals duplicate the actual stores and promote pooja kits, sweets or other festival hampers at huge discounts. The pages usually contain misspellings, unusual links or new social media accounts. When a customer has made the payment transaction, information regarding money and personal banking details is stolen. A recent instance was an Instagram advertisement claiming to give away a Ganesh Chaturthi Basic Pooja Kit that, in reality, led the user into a fake site.
