Kerala Police have warned the public about a rise in cyber fraud involving fake customer care numbers of banks and e-commerce platforms, with fraudsters allegedly using online searches to reach people seeking help and then obtain access to their phones, banking details and money.
Police said victims should rely only on official websites or applications for customer support and immediately report financial cyber fraud through the cybercrime helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
How the Customer Care Scam Works
The fraud begins when criminals post fake customer care numbers on the internet. A person facing a problem with a bank or e-commerce service may search online for a support number and unknowingly contact the fraudster.
The caller then poses as a customer support representative and offers to resolve the victim’s complaint. The initial interaction can appear to be a normal customer service conversation, making it difficult for the victim to immediately recognise the fraud.
Police cautioned people against blindly trusting customer care numbers obtained through internet searches. Instead, customers should obtain contact details directly from the official website or application of the service provider.
Remote Access Apps Put Phones at Risk
After establishing contact, fraudsters may ask victims to install remote-access or screen-sharing applications on their phones, claiming that the software is required to resolve their complaint.
Such access can expose sensitive information on the device. Police warned people not to install remote-access or screen-sharing applications at the request of unknown callers.
People should also avoid sharing OTPs, PINs, passwords and card details with anyone claiming to provide customer support.
FCRF Launches CP-FRM to Build India’s Next Generation of Fraud Risk Professionals
Small Payments Can Be Part of the Trap
Another technique involves asking the victim to make a small payment, such as Rs 5, under the pretext of registration or verification.
According to police, these interactions may then be used to obtain banking and personal information or carry out larger financial frauds.
A request for even a small payment should therefore not be treated as harmless merely because the amount involved is low, particularly when it comes from an unknown person claiming to represent a company or financial institution.
How to Identify Fake Customer Care
Customers should be cautious when a supposed support representative unexpectedly asks them to install software, share confidential banking information or make a payment.
Police advised people never to share OTPs, PINs, passwords or card details with strangers. Customer care details should be verified through the company’s official website or application rather than numbers appearing in general internet searches.
If a caller’s behaviour raises suspicion, the call should be terminated immediately. The customer should then contact the concerned institution through its official channels or visit the nearest branch.
How Customers Can Stay Safe
The warning places particular emphasis on verifying the source of customer care information before making contact. Searching for a customer care number online and calling the first number that appears can expose users to fraudulent listings.
People should use official websites and applications, avoid installing software on instructions from unknown callers and refuse requests for sensitive financial credentials.
The same caution applies even when a caller appears to know details about a complaint or presents the request as a routine verification process.
What to Do After Losing Money
Anyone who becomes a victim of cyber financial fraud should report the incident immediately to the cybercrime helpline 1930 or through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Quick reporting is particularly important when money has already been transferred. Victims should also contact the concerned bank or institution through its official channels.
The420 Takeaway
A customer care number appearing in an online search should not automatically be treated as genuine. Always verify support numbers through the company’s official website or app, and never install remote-access software, share OTPs or banking credentials, or make verification payments on an unknown caller’s instructions.
About the author — Ayesha Aayat writes on cybercrime, digital safety, and emerging online threats. Her work focuses on public awareness, legal clarity, and technology-driven risks.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
