“Sab digital India ka kamal h [This is all thanks to digital India],” a scammer told a man from Bengaluru in a WhatsApp conversation that has now gone viral on X (formerly Twitter). The scammer also advised the man on how to avoid online frauds.
Chetty Arun, a resident of Bengaluru, shared screenshots of his WhatsApp conversation with a scammer on X last week.
Arun, who had grown frustrated with persistent scam attempts on WhatsApp, decided to confront one of the fraudsters. However, instead of resorting to anger, he opted for a playful approach, leading to an unexpected and entertaining exchange between the two parties. The scammer, initially taken aback by Arun’s response, eventually opened up about their tactics and even offered insights into their operations, leading to a light-hearted exchange between the two.
The conversation began when Arun received a suspicious APK file from the scammer, labelled: CSC Government.Official. The name under the number also read “CSC Government Group” and was listed as a business account.
Sensing foul play, Arun engaged the scammer in conversation. He first wrote, “I am on an iPhone. APK android ka hota hai [APK are for android phones]. Go scam an android person.”
Arun tried to call the fraudster on the number but they did not respond. He then began asking whether people fell for these scams and what would happen if he tried to download the file.
The scammer admitted that the number they used to contact Arun belonged to a different victim. They said downloading the file would give the scammer access to all messages received by the victim on their number, including one-time passwords (OTPs).
The fraudster admitted to using OTPs obtained from victims to sign up for e-commerce platforms to steal money. Similarly, if people saved their cards on site, they could make transactions up till a certain amount without the need of the CVV number.
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The scammer also told Arun that these scams have been going on for 10-12 years. The fraudster themself, however, had only been engaging in these for the last 15 days or so. They then went on a rant about how digital platforms lacked security.
The conversation took an unexpected turn when the scammer asked about Arun’s personal life, congratulated him on his upcoming wedding, and even attempted to find him on Facebook.
The scammer told Arun to warn his friends against online scams and to not download or click links sent by unknown numbers.
The post quickly went viral on social media, amassing nearly three million views. The post started many discussions on online threats and cybersecurity.
Reacting to the post, a user added, “Terrific ability to converse Chetty Arun and thanks for posting the informative thread.”
It even caught the attention of Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, who shared the post with the caption: “You won’t stop till you read this full thread.”
— Vijay Shekhar Sharma (@vijayshekhar) April 19, 2024
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