Trick 5- Phishing via Regulatory Authority Impersonation
- Pretended to be officials from regulatory bodies like TRAI.
- Threatened SIM deactivation to manipulate victims.
- Extracted personal and financial details from users.
- Utilized collected data for identity theft and unauthorized transactions.
5. TRAI SIM Closure Fraud (2024)
Steps of the Fraud:
- Impersonation of Regulatory Authority:
- Scammers impersonated officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) through calls and messages.
- False SIM Closure Notifications:
- They informed victims that their SIM cards would be deactivated due to alleged fraudulent activities or incomplete KYC updates.
- Solicitation of Personal Information:
- Victims were coerced into providing sensitive personal information, such as Aadhaar numbers and bank details, under the pretense of preventing SIM deactivation.
- Unauthorized Use of Information:
- The fraudsters used the collected information to conduct unauthorized financial transactions and identity theft.