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<ul><li>A group of YouTubers dedicated to stopping scam calls has taken on scammers in India.</li><li>The group identified a scam call centre in Kolkata and pranked them.</li><li>The group’s efforts also resulted in the closure of a scam call centre and arrests of those involved.</li></ul>Scam callers are a known menace who prey on the elderly and non-tech-savvy people to steal money from them. It is a known fact that several scam callers <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/how-an-army-of-online-criminals-has-turned-india-into-a-call-centre-fraud-haven-10121201.html">operate</a> from India to steal money from people in western countries. Here’s where Mark Rober comes in. Rober is a former NASA engineer and YouTuber who posts videos about the stuff builds on his channel. He is popularly known for his over-engineered packages that he builds to prank people who steal packages from outside houses. After coming across Mrs Bessie, an elderly person who was scammed by a person for $20,000, Rober took it upon himself to get to the bottom of this. While some of the people responsible were arrested in the United States, he found out that those arrested were only low-level mules and the actual scammers were based in India. <div type="Youtube" id="xsLJZyih3Ac" title="Pranks Destroy Scam Callers- GlitterBomb Payback" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xsLJZyih3Ac/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="A single scam call centre earns around $18 million per year" comment="subhead" text="A single scam call centre earns around $18 million per year">A single scam call centre earns around $18 million per year</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="Screenshot (127)" msid="91463380" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Document accessed by the group.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Rober and his team were able to access the documents of a scam call centre’s owner. This revealed that the centre earns over $60,000 per day, which is over $18 million considering that the centre works six days a week. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Team behind the prank" comment="subhead" text="Team behind the prank">Team behind the prank</cmsannotation> As part of the plan, Rober teamed up with Jim Browning, who has a dedicated channel to take on tech support scams. Trilogy Media, a duo dedicated to busting scammers, were also part of the plan. Once the team was ready, Ashton Bingham and Art Kulik, the duo behind Trilogy Media landed in Kolkata, the city where the alleged scam callers were based. They worked with some of their associates in the city to infiltrate some of the call centres. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Here’s how the prank began" comment="subhead" text="Here’s how the prank began">Here’s how the prank began</cmsannotation> Jim Browning was able to locate four of the alleged scam call centres in Kolkata – Ansh Info Solutions, VRM Business Services and MET Technologies. The fourth centre has not been named. The group then hired 10 private investigators to apply for jobs at these centres to collect information about them. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Contraptions built by the group" comment="subhead" text="Contraptions built by the group">Contraptions built by the group</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="1" msid="91463409" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The stink bomb bottle.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The first contraption built by the group was a bottle that had a chamber in which the group placed a military-grade putrescent that induces nausea. Then, they built a custom box that was used to store and release cockroaches at these centres. <div type="image" title="2" msid="91463439" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The custom-built box that releases cockroaches.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The group also built a box that released rats and a micro fogger that released smoke in the room. Finally, the team built a glitter bomb that also releases fart spray and is equipped with four cameras. <div type="image" title="Glitter bomb" msid="91463457" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Glitter bomb that releases fine glitter and fart spray.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The setback" comment="subhead" text="The setback">The setback</cmsannotation> Members of Trilogy Media were spotted by some scammers in Kolkata and information about this was shared in a Telegram group that contains over 55,000 scammers from the country. The message further asked members to keep an eye for the duo and shoot them if they are found. <div type="image" title="TG" msid="91463504" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The telegram group and the messages about Trilogy Media.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> This prompted the duo to stay in their hotels while other members continued with the plan. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The prank begins" comment="subhead" text="The prank begins">The prank begins</cmsannotation> The contraptions built by the group were smuggled into the call centre by a former scammer. Thanks to Browning, the team already had access to the security feeds at the call centre. The scam began with the team setting off the stink bomb bottle in the office and placing a hand soap with dye was in the bathroom. <div type="image" title="C" msid="91463514" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The cockroaches released by the box.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Before the scammers could figure out where the stink was coming from, the box with dozens of cockroaches was released, resulting in a frenzy. While the cockroaches were being removed, the fogger started smoking and the rat box was triggered. The glitter bomb was removed from the office and opened in what looked like the office’s parking space. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The result" comment="subhead" text="The result">The result</cmsannotation> Once the devices were set off in the scam call centre, the Telegram group received another message that alerted other scammers. This resulted in several scam call centres across Kolkata and Delhi being shut off for several days. Rober revealed that the unnamed fourth scam call centre was raided by the authorities in India and was shut down. Unfortunately, the other three call centres remain open. Rober ends the video with a request to viewers to share the video with the Kolkata Police on Twitter. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hackers-using-seo-to-plant-malicious-pdf-on-search-engines/articleshow/91459859.cms">Cybersecurity researchers uncover a new trick that lets hackers plant malicious PDFs on search engines using SEO</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/10-things-in-tech-insta-crypto-scams/articleshow/91179344.cms">10 Things in Tech: Insta crypto scams</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/new-york-couple-part-of-a-plot-to-trick-a-man-into-embezzling-4m-to-save-woman-from-make-believe-mob-enforcer/articleshow/91033439.cms">New York couple part of a plot to trick a man into embezzling $4m to 'save' woman from make-believe mob enforcer</a>

Here's how a group of YouTubers pranked a scam call centre in India that makes $18 million per year

(Photo Source: wikimedia.org) <ul><li>Fake call centers in Indian cities—Gurugram and Noida—tricked over 50,000 people from across 15 countries in the name of IT giant, Microsoft. </li><li>The fraudsters in question notified people that their systems had been infected by a <keyword id="10860" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virus">virus</keyword> via pop-up messages and offered them assistance as Microsoft support officials, in turn demanding money to rectify their system. </li><li>Investigating agencies — Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Interpol and Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted police (RCMP) — have joined the investigation being conducted by the Gurugram and Noida police.</li></ul>Microsoft Corporation (India) Private Ltd was recently in talks with Gurugram police in to investigate a <keyword id="29409" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-crime">cyber crime</keyword> that went on to tricking people from over 15 countries in the name of Microsoft, Hindustan Times <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/gurugram/gurugram-police-joined-hands-with-fbi-interpol-to-bust-call-centre-scam/story-RJA614XdShh4kv9MyUgBFJ.html?utm_campaign=fullarticle&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=inshorts">reported</a>. The fraud was reported at the Gurugram police commissioner’s office where teams from Singapore and Ireland presented the matter, along with India’s cyber crime team. <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/gurugram/fake-call-centres-dupe-people-across-the-world/story-ttriXPJpzot8Sum0VjtNjN.html">Eight teams</a> were reportedly formed including 40 technical experts and 50 officials from the police force to raid the call centers. On 27 November, Microsoft filed 17 First Information Report (FIRs) against call centers in Gurugram and Noida. To counter the global fraud, Gurugram and Noida police along with other investigating agencies — Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Interpol and Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted police (RCMP) — have shut down over 17 call centers, arresting 42 people involved in the scam, <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/gurugram/gurugram-police-joined-hands-with-fbi-interpol-to-bust-call-centre-scam/story-RJA614XdShh4kv9MyUgBFJ.html?utm_campaign=fullarticle&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=inshorts">said the report</a>. According to <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/gurugram/fake-call-centres-dupe-people-across-the-world/story-ttriXPJpzot8Sum0VjtNjN.html">reports</a>, the police suspects that the fraud may have affected over 50,000 people altogether pocketing worth hundreds of crores. However, a few suspects from the accused were released on bail, and defended themselves saying that there was no evidence against them, apart from a complaint from Microsoft Corporation. With the increasing number of complaints, Microsoft has also released a survey that said that one in every five consumers have shed money in such tech-support scams, PCMag<a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/365198/microsoft-helps-police-shut-down-fake-tech-support-centers-i"> reported</a>. How the call centre web worked? <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/fake-call-centres-in-gurgaon-use-pop-ups-to-con-microsoft-customers-12-held-in-raids/articleshow/66856188.cms">According to</a> the complaint and data provided by the company, the cyber experts in question associated with Delhi-based vendors and other online agents to fetch data of foreign citizens, including IP address and email IDs. The fraudsters then bugged into the targeted systems and notified them of a virus infection via pop-up messages. This lead to the users landing a call on a given number, which were operated from the call centers — the team then posed as Microsoft support team offering solutions to rectify their system and in turn demanded money. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/quora-says-100-million-user-accounts-may-have-been-hacked-giving-out-passwords-e-mails-in-massive-data-breach/articleshow/66933864.cms">Quora says 100 million user accounts may have been hacked giving out passwords, e-mails in massive data breach</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/apple-removed-scam-apps-that-used-a-devious-trick-to-steal-from-iphone-users-and-it-reveals-a-growing-problem-with-the-app-store/articleshow/66924983.cms">Apple removed scam apps that used a devious trick to steal from iPhone users - and it reveals a growing problem with the App Store</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/how-a-free-travel-insurance-offer-on-the-indian-railways-website-left-data-of-200000-passengers-exposed-to-hackers-for-two-years/articleshow/66604055.cms">How a free travel insurance offer on the Indian Railways website left data of 200,000 passengers exposed to hackers for two years</a>

Fake call centers in India tricked over 50,000 people across 15 countries, FBI joins investigation

New York, A <keyword id="98892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="federal-court">federal court</keyword> has permanently shut down a US-based computer scam that preyed on elderly Americans using call centre operators in <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> resulting in losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In a statement on Tuesday, the <keyword id="67869" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Department-of-Justice">Department of Justice</keyword> said that the court gave the <keyword id="3528317" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Permanent-injunction">permanent injunction</keyword> against Michael Brian Cotter and four <keyword id="22917" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Companies">companies</keyword> barring them offering <keyword id="843005" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="technical-support">technical support</keyword> through telemarketing and web sites following a joint operation by US authorities and India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The alleged fraudsters in some cases impersonated Microsoft, which brought cases to the attention of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force., the <keyword id="6360339" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="department">Department</keyword> said. The Department had filed in October a request for the injunction against Cotter and the companies before the court in Miami, <keyword id="6357385" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword>, which is an area with a concentration of retirees, and a temporary injunction was granted immediately and was now made permanent. Acknowledging India's cooperation, Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark said: "The Department is grateful for the cooperation of foreign law enforcement, including India's CBI, in investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting technical-support fraud schemes and other schemes originating abroad and directed at the American public." The complaint said that Cotter allegedly worked with co-conspirators in India, but did not identify them. One of the companies mentioned in the complaint is registered in Singapore. The US federal government also took over 19 domain names like "assistmysoftware" and "helpforsoftware" that were used in the alleged scam to prevent their continued use. According to the Department of Justice's complaint, the alleged fraud involved causing pop-up messages to appear on computer screens purporting to be from Microsoft or other companies falsely claiming that the computers were infected with viruses and asking the users to call a phone number for help. When they called the number it was transferred to call centres in India from where the operators asked to access the computers and then claimed they had detected "non-existent" problems and charged them hundreds of dollars claiming falsely to fix fake issues on the computer, the complaint said. The Department said that since President Donald Trump signed the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law in October 2017, it has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions against scams targeting seniors. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-sbi-hdfc-bank-wipro-ril-future-retail-tcs-jindal-stainless-upl-irctc-and-others/articleshow/80019871.cms">Top stocks to watch — SBI, HDFC Bank, Wipro, RIL, Future Retail, TCS, Jindal Stainless, UPL, IRCTC, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-detects-14-new-cases-of-uk-covid-19-strain-putting-the-tally-at-20/articleshow/80020163.cms">India detects 14 new cases of UK COVID-19 strain, putting the tally at 20India detects 14 new cases of UK COVID-19 strain, putting the tally at 20</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/2021-could-finally-be-the-year-of-indias-tech-ipos-as-startups-like-zomato-delhivery-policybazaar-head-for-the-public-markets/slidelist/80019978.cms">2021 could finally be the year of India’s tech IPOs as startups like Zomato, Delhivery, Policybazaar head for the public markets</a>

India's CBI helped US sleuths shut down a call centre scam that impersonated Microsoft at times

<ul><li>69% of Indians cannot distinguish between fake and real voices.</li><li>Fake voice messages of friends and family members are sent by scammers who pretend to be distressed.</li><li>Below, read about some tips for identifying AI voice calls and how to protect yourself from AI voice call scams.</li></ul><keyword id="127849" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mcafee" source="Orion">McAfee</keyword> has released a report called ‘The <keyword id="17300707" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="artificial-imposter" source="Orion">Artificial Imposter</keyword>,’ highlighting how the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is facilitating an increase in online voice scams. The study was conducted in seven countries, including India, and involved 7,054 participants. The survey shows that a majority of Indians, more than half (69%), cannot distinguish between an AI voice and a real voice. Nearly half (47%) of Indian adults have either experienced or know someone who has experienced some sort of <keyword id="17300703" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-voice-scam" source="Orion">AI voice scam</keyword>, which is almost twice the global average of 25%. Additionally, 83% of Indian victims reported a monetary loss, with 48% losing over ₹50,000. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Voice cloning scams on the rise in India" comment="subhead" text="Voice cloning scams on the rise in India">Voice cloning scams on the rise in India</cmsannotation> According to McAfee, voice cloning scams are rising in India, with cybercriminals using AI technology to manipulate the voices of friends and family members. The report states that 86% of Indian adults share their voice data online at least once a week, making voice cloning an increasingly powerful tool in the hands of scammers. The study found that 69% of Indian adults cannot distinguish between a cloned voice and the real one, making it easier for scammers to trick people into falling for their schemes. The most common type of voice cloning scam involves scammers sending fake voicemails or voice notes pretending to be someone in distress or even calling victims' contacts directly. According to the report, more than half (66%) of Indian respondents said they would reply to a voicemail or voice note purporting to be from a friend or loved one in need of money, particularly if they believed it came from a parent (46%), partner or spouse (34%), or child (12%). Messages claiming that the sender had been robbed, involved in a car incident, lost their phone or wallet, or needed help while traveling abroad were most likely to elicit a response. AI voice scams can be difficult to detect, but there are some signs to look out for: <ol><li>Urgency: Scammers often create a sense of urgency, claiming they need help immediately.</li><li>Request for money: Scammers may ask for money or request that you transfer funds to a particular account.</li><li>Unusual behavior: The scammer may claim to be in distress or in an unusual situation.</li><li>Changes in the tone of voice: The voice may sound different from the person you know, or the tone may be inconsistent with the situation.</li><li>Unusual requests: The scammer may ask for personal information or login credentials.</li></ol>It is important to stay alert and cautious when receiving unexpected calls or messages, especially if they involve requests for money or personal information. If in doubt, verifying the person's identity by calling them back on a trusted phone number is always a good idea. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from AI voice cloning scams: <ul><li>Be wary of unexpected calls or messages from friends or family members. If you receive a request for money or personal information, take a moment to confirm your identity through another channel of communication, such as texting or video calling.</li><li>Keep your personal information private. Avoid sharing sensitive details about your life on social media or other public forums that cybercriminals could use to clone your voice.</li><li>Use strong and unique passwords for all your online accounts, including social media and email. Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.</li><li>Regularly update your antivirus software and update your operating system with the latest security patches.</li><li>Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could contain malware that could give cybercriminals access to your device and personal information.</li><li>Educate yourself on the latest cyber threats and stay up-to-date on recognizing and avoiding them.</li></ul>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/what-are-vishing-scams-that-start-with-a-namaste-and-end-with-monetary-losses/articleshow/99762900.cms">What are ‘vishing scams’ that start with a Namaste and end with monetary losses</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sony-wh-ch720n-headphones-review-featherweight-comfort-and-impressive-sound/articleshow/99911412.cms">Sony WH-CH720N headphones review: Featherweight comfort and impressive sound</a>

7 out of 10 Indians are unable to identify AI voice call scams, and half fall for scams with monetary losses

<ul><li>The 29-year-old Indian national, <keyword id="10948268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sahil-narang">Sahil Narang</keyword>, will also have to complete three years of supervised release.</li><li>The investigation into Narang’s fraud states that his scheme was successful 30% of the time.</li><li>Narang and others made over 70 calls per day, and tried to defraud up to $3 million from unsuspecting computer users.</li></ul>A 29-year-old Indian national has been sentenced to three years in a US federal prison on charges of call centre fraud. The verdict comes a few months after the accused pleaded guilty of conspiracy and fraud. Sahil Narang, a resident of Gurgaon, was in the US illegally when he was arrested in May 2019. He has been described as a ‘key participant’ in tech fraud and refund fraud – usually targeted at technologically unsophisticated computer users, who are often senior citizens. According to acting United States attorney Richard B Myrus, Narang has been sentenced to three years in prison, which will be followed by three years of supervised release. The facts of the case put forward by the US federal prosecutors state that internet pop-up advertisements were used to fool computer users into believing that their computers were affected by malware. These advertisements would make the users believe that they needed computer protection services. A number would be displayed, and when dialed, the users would be routed to call centres run by Narang. Further, these call centre operators would call the affected users to tell them they could get a refund of the amount paid. They would then say a refund has been processed to the user. To double dip, these operators would call the users again to tell them they had refunded an excess amount, and that these users would have to repay the difference. To make it seem believable, these operators would display fake bank balances on the computer screens of these users. These users would then be asked to ‘refund’ the excess money they were told they had received – essentially, the users would end up paying the fraudsters twice. Narang’s fraud scheme had a success rate of 30% According to the federal prosecutors and a nine-month investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (<keyword id="6355946" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="fbi">FBI</keyword>), Narang’s fraud scheme had a success rate of 30%. Narang and others made over 70 calls per day during the investigation period, with 30% of those calls ending up in successful frauds. They put the estimate of fraud between $1.5 to $3 million. With inputs from PTI. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/us-india-computer-scam-against-elderly-americans-gets-shut-down/articleshow/80020984.cms">India's CBI helped US sleuths shut down a call centre scam that impersonated Microsoft at times</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/fake-call-centres-in-india-tricked-over-50000-people-across-15-countries-fbi-joins-investigation/articleshow/66949461.cms">Fake call centers in India tricked over 50,000 people across 15 countries, FBI joins investigation</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/the-8-most-sophisticated-phone-scams-right-now-the-average-person-falls-for/articleshow/68678617.cms">The 8 most sophisticated phone scams right now the average person falls for</a>

Here's how a guy from Gurugram used pop-up ads and a call centre to defraud unsuspecting Americans for up to $3 million

<ul><li><keyword id="20200171" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Truecaller" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Truecaller" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Truecaller">Truecaller</keyword> has announced a new <keyword id="21863336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-Call-Scanner" source="keywords">AI Call Scanner</keyword> to protect users from scams.</li><li>The AI Call Scanner can detect if the voice on the other end of the call is AI-generated.</li><li>Here’s how the tool works and how you can use it to prevent <keyword id="21866415" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="AI-call-scams" source="keywords">AI call scams</keyword>.</li></ul> Artificial intelligence (AI) has very quickly become an important tool that makes it easier to get work done. While AI has its fair share of benefits, it has also been put to some scary uses. There have been instances of people using AI to scam people on<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/ai-savvy-scammer-uses-deepfake-video-to-steal-40000-via-whatsapp/articleshow/101849089.cms"> video calls</a> and voice calls by using technology to replicate someone’s voice or likeness. There have been several instances where people were fooled by scammers using AI-generated voices to ask for money while pretending to be someone the victim knows. To help customers identify whether the person they are talking to on their phone is real or is AI-generated, Truecaller has introduced a new AI Call Scanner. The tool, which uses AI is aimed at preventing spam and <keyword id="21866417" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scam-calls" source="keywords">scam calls</keyword> that use <keyword id="21866416" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-generated-voice" source="keywords">AI-generated voice</keyword>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is the AI Call Scanner?" comment="subhead" text="What is the AI Call Scanner?">What is the AI Call Scanner?</cmsannotation> The AI Call Scanner has been developed by Truecaller to help identify AI-generated voices in calls. It can detect various types of <keyword id="21866418" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="synthetic-voices" source="keywords">synthetic voices</keyword> created by AI or altered/modified voices. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How to use AI Call Scanner?" comment="subhead" text="How to use AI Call Scanner?">How to use AI Call Scanner?</cmsannotation> The AI Call Scanner is currently only available for Android users in the US. A wider rollout, including for India is expected soon. Here’s how to use the AI Call Scanner to protect yourself from AI call scams: <ul><li>Download the latest version of Truecaller on your smartphone.</li><li>Make Truecaller the default calling app.</li><li>During a call, if you are suspicious, tap on the “Start AI Call Scanner” button.</li><li>The AI Call Scanner will start analysing the voice to identify if it is real or AI-generated.</li></ul>Do note that the call will be put on hold while it is being analysed, to prevent you from missing out on important information. You will get a notification during the call itself, informing you whether the person you are speaking to is real or not. A message will pop up saying either ‘Human Detected’ or ‘AI Voice Detected’ SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/indias-t20-world-cup-team-matches-and-everything-you-need-to-know/slidelist/110551798.cms">India’s T20 World Cup team, matches and everything you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-wwdc-2024-to-begin-with-keynote-on-june-10-event-schedule-what-to-expect-and-more/articleshow/110537952.cms">Apple WWDC 2024 to begin with keynote on June 10 – event schedule, what to expect and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/adani-paytm-deal-both-one97-communications-and-adani-group-deny-reports-as-baseless-and-speculative/articleshow/110530843.cms">Adani-Paytm Deal: Both One97 Communications and Adani Group deny reports as ‘baseless’ and ‘speculative’</a>

Truecaller can now detect if the caller is using AI – How to use it to prevent AI call scams

<ul><li><keyword id="790242" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="whatsapp" source="Orion">WhatsApp</keyword> is cracking down on international scam calls to Indian users.</li><li>This comes after minister of state for IT <keyword id="205969" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rajeev-chandrasekhar" source="Orion">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword> said the ministry will send a notice to WhatsApp.</li><li>WhatsApp, which has over 500 million users in India, is employing AI and ML to reduce spam calls.</li></ul> Popular messaging app WhatsApp is cracking the whip on international scam calls after Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the ministry will send a notice to WhatsApp over the issue. Over the past few weeks, there has been a significant increase in Indian WhatsApp users receiving spam calls from international numbers. WhatsApp has over 500 million users in India. “The Ministry is taking note of it, they will send them a notice. I have said repeatedly that openness, trust, safety and accountability are the responsibility of platforms who deliver to digital nagriks,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for IT at an event. The Meta-owned platform has now issued a statement saying it is aligned with the government in keeping users safe. "Protecting the privacy and security of users is fundamental to <keyword id="399907" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="meta" source="Orion">Meta</keyword> and to WhatsApp. Our users are at the heart of everything we do and we are fully aligned with the Government's goal of keeping users safe. WhatsApp is a leader among end-to-end encrypted services in protecting user safety,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement. “International scam calls is a new way that bad actors have recently adopted. By giving a missed call, they lead curious users to call or message back only to get scammed,” the spokesperson said. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="WhatsApp to use AI and ML to fight international spam calls" comment="subhead" text="WhatsApp to use AI and ML to fight international spam calls">WhatsApp to use AI and ML to fight international spam calls</cmsannotation> WhatsApp has said that it already offers tools like block and report that helps users prevent scammers from contacting them again. Amid an increase in international spam calls, WhatsApp is taking help of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The company has claimed that the revamped systems will be able to reduce the spam call rates by at least 50%. This means that a significant number of users may still receive spam calls for now. “Therefore, we have quickly ramped up our AI &amp; ML systems to bring down such incidents significantly. Our new enforcement will reduce the current calling rate by at least 50% and we expect to be able to control the current incidence effectively. We will continue to work relentlessly towards ensuring a safe experience for our users,” the spokesperson added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/android-14-beta-2-announced-features-eligible-devices-and-how-to-download/articleshow/100155614.cms">Android 14 Beta 2 announced – features, eligible devices, and how to download</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/survey-reveals-three-out-of-four-indians-suffer-from-nomophobia-heres-what-it-means/articleshow/100073985.cms">Survey reveals three out of four Indians suffer from NoMoPhobia: Here’s what it means</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/nothing-phone-2-confirmed-to-launch-soon-with-snapdragon-8-gen-1-may-come-with-an-alert-slider/articleshow/99978052.cms">Nothing phone (2) confirmed to launch soon with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, may come with an alert slider</a>

WhatsApp is cracking down on international scam calls after India’s IT ministry takes notice

Millions of <keyword id="790242" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="whatsapp" source="Orion">WhatsApp</keyword> users in India have been left baffled at the amount of international <keyword id="2232456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spam-calls" source="Orion">spam calls</keyword> they have been receiving in the last couple of days, leaving many at the risk of financial loss. These spam calls with international numbers, mostly from African and Southeast Asian countries, along with fake messages from unknown users, have flooded WhatsApp and Indians have nowhere to go but Twitter to share their ordeal. Meta-owned WhatsApp has close to 500 million users in India. "What is happening with WhatsApp? So much spam. So much," Gaurav Munjal, Founder, Unacademy Group, posted on Tuesday. "WhatsApp Business was a big blunder. Brian Acton (WhatsApp Co-founder) has been proved right," tweeted Sourabh Mathur, an entrepreneur. Although the mobile numbers show country codes of Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Ethiopia, it is not necessary that these calls are actually coming from these countries. Most of these calls start with +251 (Ethiopia), +62 (Indonesia), +254 (Kenya), +84 (Vietnam) and other countries. Ray Stings @Purba_Ray tweeted: "I keep getting missed calls on WhatsApp from unknown numbers from different parts of the world every single day. It's so bad, I have to keep my phone on silent". WhatsApp was yet to comment on the growing fake spam calls on its platform. "Same here. Seems to be an epidemic. @whatsapp needs to allow us to choose to get calls from contacts only," posted Shivam Vij, New Delhi-based independent journalist. Another affected WhatsApp user said: "I get that (scam calls) at 5 in the morning. Almost my daily morning alarms now". "That's <keyword id="118709" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jamtara" source="Orion">JAMTARA</keyword> GLOBAL, for you," posted another. Another scam that is being reported in India is that of receiving job offers via WhatsApp messages. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/condom-maker-mankind-pharma-lists-at-20-premium-beats-grey-market-expectations/articleshow/100090002.cms">Mankind Pharma stock runs up in trade after listing at 20% premium</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/up-to-follow-netherland-model-to-check-school-dropouts/articleshow/100101677.cms">UP to follow Netherland model to check school dropouts</a>

'Jamtara Global': Indian WhatsApp users flooded with spam calls

<ul><li>India has dropped down to 9th position in terms of number of <keyword id="2232456" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="spam-calls">spam calls</keyword> received by users globally. Brazil is the most spammed country in the world.</li><li>Meanwhile, <keyword id="6354766" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword>, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are the most spammed states in India.</li></ul>India has dropped down to 9th position in terms of number of spam calls received by users globally, while Brazil continues to stay on top. Spam calls received by users in India have decreased by 34%. Meanwhile, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are the most spammed states in India. The findings are a part of <keyword id="1106616" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TrueCaller">Truecaller</keyword>'s <keyword id="10396638" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="annual-insights-report">annual Insights Report</keyword> that listed the Top 20 Countries Affected by Spam Calls in 2020. This is the fourth edition of the report wherein there has been a significant shift in the ranking of countries that received the most spam calls. With the pandemic breaking out earlier this year and countries going into lockdown, this year’s report has shown that not only has the pandemic affected communication behaviour but also spam patterns around the world. A closer look at spam calls in India According to the report, India has dropped down to 9th position in terms of number of spam calls received by users globally, while Brazil continues to stay on top. Spam calls received by users in India have decreased by 34%. Despite a reduction in the amount of spam calls received, India still makes it into the top 10 most spammed countries. One of the most interesting revelations that came from this year’s report was that 98.5% of all spam calls in India originate from domestic numbers, which could partly explain why spam calls have been decreasing in India, as strict curfews implemented in the country earlier this year made it impossible for telemarketers to go to work, or utilise the equipment they need to carry out large scale spam campaigns. Another interesting insight is that the first three months of lockdown in India saw calls to emergency services increase by 148%. With regard to spam call categorisation, operators continue to be the top spammers in India with 52% user calls received for the upselling of various offers and reminders. However, the study also witnessed telemarketing services emerging as big spammers, recording a total of 34%. The following graph highlights the top spammed states in India. This level of granular data for India is new to the 2020 report. Gujarat emerged as the state that received the most spam calls in 2020, followed closely by Maharashtra. We also noted that the largest cities contributed a majority share of spam for the respective state they are in. Other key trends ● Truecaller found that spam reached its lowest point in April when strict curfews and lockdowns were implemented worldwide. The overall volume of calls also dipped during this period. However, from this point, reports of scammers taking advantage of the uncertainty around the pandemic emerged. In May, spam calls started to pick up again and have been increasing on average by 9.7% per month. ● October this year was the record high in terms of spam calls. It was 22.4% higher compared to pre-lockdown. ● The biggest increase of spam calls comes from Europe and the US - where Hungary has seen the biggest jump (1132%), followed by Germany (685%), Belgium (557%) and Romania (395%). ● An escalation of <keyword id="6206915" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="scam-calls">scam calls</keyword> and robocalls around the world is expanding their share within the most common spam categories. Scammers taking advantage of the pandemic is a primary reason for the increase of scam calls. ● Earlier this year, Truecaller had released the 6th edition of our US Spam &amp; Scam Report, where 56 million Americans reported having lost money to phone scams, and an estimated $19.7 billion USD was lost to scam calls. Of those who lost money to phone scams in the past, the average reported loss was $351 (up from $244 in 2019) and 61.5% got duped because of a robocall. ● Indonesia slipped down the list to 6th position as spam calls have reduced by 34% this year, going from 27.9 spam calls per month to 18.3. However, financial services upselling various offers continue to plague the country, as can be seen by its 52% share of total spam. Scam calls also remain to be a problem in Indonesia (9%). ● The most alarming trend in the UK is that scam calls account for more than one-third of the top spammers. From April (after the lockdown was eased) to October, scam calls have increased with 59% and sales calls have seen an increase of 48%. ● Spam calls in Mexico have decreased significantly (40%) this year. Last year, Mexicans would receive on average 25.7 spam calls, and this year it has dropped to 15.5. However, Mexico remains the 2nd most spammed country in Latin America. Top spammers in Mexico continue to come from financial services (27%) and debt collector groups (24%). ● Another devastating fact related to India, is that 8 out of 10 women in India receive sexual harassment or inappropriate calls and SMS regularly. ● This is the first time Vietnam enters the list of the most spammed countries in the world. In the past 12 months, spam calls in Vietnam have increased by 182%. The majority of the spam calls come from financial services (45%), while scam calls, with an increase of 31%, are flooding the country. ● Belgium rounds out the list of new European entrants to the top spammed list that has experienced exponential growth in spam calls. ● Last year, Peru was the 2nd most spammed country in the world. With a sharp decrease of spam calls (59%), Peru has now dropped down to 14th position. However, Peru still ranks as one of the most spammed countries (4th) in Latin America.

Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have received the most number of spam calls in India in 2020

The results of a Telenor Group survey done on internet scams suggest that work-from-home fraud, lottery scams and fake bank emails are the top three <keyword id="112985" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="online-scams">online scams</keyword> in India. 
 
As per the study, in a country like India where over one third of internet users surveyed have been victims to an internet scam, online security is extremely relevant. The survey also found that a further 57% of the users know a friend or family member who had been scammed online. Amongst those who were surveyed were people who have been victims of <keyword id="1368257" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="online-frauds">online frauds</keyword>, and 90% if them have lost money because of it. 
 
The global survey was done over multiple markets like India, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, and assessed the impact of scams on 400 internet users aged 18 to 65. 
 
“As a leader in telecommunications, Telenor India is dedicated to enhancing internet safety," said Sharad Mehrotra, CEO, Telenor India told ET. "We hope that the findings from this digital consumer study will encourage all of us to take preventative measures to stay safe online." 
 
"As Indian netizens, we all know that scams exist but to see that the highest sums stolen via scams is in India, shows this is an area we communally need to address," the company added. 
 
The Telenor study also revealed that around 85% of India's internet users know that there exists a term called 'Internet Scam', and also that they feel open to online threats. 63% of these users said they are 'very concerned' about online scams. 
 
<a href="http://stech3.firstpost.com/tech2images/640x359/proportional/jpeg/2014/03/cyber_crime_041705344679dsdasda-624x350.jpg">Image source</a>

Work-from-home, lottery, and fake bank emails top online scams in Telenor survey

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10876578" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="robocalling">Robocalling</keyword> is back to pre-pandemic levels, data from spam-blocking service YouMail showed.</li><li>Americans received about 4.6 billion <keyword id="1601636" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Robocalls">robocalls</keyword> in February, the highest volume since February 2020. </li><li>The two main types of robocalls during February were scams related to car warranties and health.</li></ul>If it feels like you're getting more robocalls than usual lately, you're not imagining it: Robocalls are back to pre-pandemic levels, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/4-6-billion-robocalls-in-february-mark-15-1-monthly-increase-says-youmail-robocall-index-301240523.html?tc=eml_cleartime">new data from YouMail</a> showed. YouMail, a robocall-blocking app that compiles robocall data in the US, found that Americans received roughly 4.6 billion robocalls in the month of February, a 15% increase from the month prior and the highest monthly volume since February 2020. The two main types of robocall scams during the month of February were about car warranties and health. There were, respectively, 339 million and 202 million calls regarding those scams last month, YouMail reported. The spike in robocalls is likely related to economies beginning to reopen worldwide. As YouMail CEO Alex Quilici <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/tech/robocalls-decline-coronavirus/index.html">told CNN Business last spring</a>, call centers were operating with reduced capacity or were closed completely, leading to a decrease in calls. Now, as the world continues to reopen, robocalls are having a resurgence as well. YouMail's findings align with a February SurveyMonkey survey <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-so-many-spam-robocalls-how-to-stop-them-2021-3">conducted by Insider</a>, which found that 46% of Americans reported receiving spam phone calls on their cell phone every day, and another 24% reported receiving them multiple times each week.While there isn't a simple solution to ending robocalls altogether - the Federal Trade Commission has been fighting a battle against robocalls for approximately two decades - there are a few tricks that could help reduce the number of calls you receive. Experts recently told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-so-many-spam-robocalls-how-to-stop-them-2021-3">Insider's Walt Hickey</a> that installing a mobile app designed to fight spam can help block these types of calls.In addition, you can add yourself to the <a href="https://www.donotcall.gov/">National Do Not Call Registry</a>, which is maintained by the FTC and can blacklist spam callers. And if a spam call is able to reach you, it's important to be aware of the tricks scammers may use to gain access to your information or to get you to pay up. <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0208-phone-scams">The FTC keeps a comprehensive list</a> of the types of tactics callers may employ, as well as the most common types of scams, to help you protect yourself.

If you're getting hounded by calls about a car warranty, you're not alone: Robocalls are spiking for the first time since before the pandemic

Scams have been on the rise around the world, and can become easy to target those who are caught off-guard by a phone call or SMS. These scams are an easy way to cheat people because it plays on the fear of missing out on something important. Sooner or later you run into a new spammer, and some countries have run-ins with spammers more than others. <keyword id="1106616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TrueCaller">Truecaller</keyword> released a list of 2017’s top spam-plagued countries and your guess is right, with <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> sliding in first with the average Truecaller user receiving 22.6 spam calls per month. Tying in for second place is the <keyword id="6356955" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="united-states">United States</keyword> and <keyword id="6355226" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Brazil">Brazil</keyword> with an estimated 20.7 calls per user each month. Spam calls vary in category but most are from parties such operator , debt collection, bank, political, health, spam, telemarketing, financial service, scam and insurance. India India’s spam call issue lies with operators and financial services. Many of these operators are seeking to provide special offers for free data, or unlimited calls. USA Spam calls in the U.S. have risen by yet another 20% (from 18.8 spam calls), making the United States second in line to be the world’s most spam-call plagued country. Spam calls in the US are dominated by nuisance and scam calls. Financial services and debt collectors is also a big category that is spamming Truecaller users. In the U.S., every year the <keyword id="2752441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="irs-scams">IRS Scams</keyword>, and premium-rate scams known as the 'One Ring Scam' are popular, which has recently been copied for disrupting Sweden with premium rate calls and fake bank SMS. Brazil Operators and debt collectors make up the majority of the spam calls in Brazil, which is pretty similar to the top spammers in Chile. Chile Chile’s spam call issue is mostly with financial services trying to sell new loans. To learn more, check out the infographic below- 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="image" title="TrueCaller-Infographic-V3" msid="59578041" hostid="261"></div>



































 The data was aggregated anonymously from incoming calls that either has been marked as spam by users – or automatically been flagged by Truecaller during the period of January 1st, 2017 to May 31st, 2017 to understand the monthly average spam rate. During this period of time, the users received over 5.5 billion spam calls. As for what type of spam calls users are receiving the most the company looked at the top 100 spammers in each region for the month of May.

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