Scammers who offer vax booster doses after O2 and Covid drugs
Gurgaon, December 14, 2021:
Online scammers have come up with new ways to fool people — this time in the name of the Covid vaccine booster dose. Police said the scammers called people disguised as representatives of the Health Department and asked them to register the booster effect. They are said to have told residents that the government has decided to give boost immunity in the wake of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV2 and make money with the excuse of registration.
Previously, Gurgaon’s cyber police station had received several complaints related to the Covid scam, fooled by people who promised to consult with oxygen cylinders, drugs, and doctors.
Sumar Kumar, a resident of Sector 12, said last week he received a call from someone who identified himself as a representative of the health sector. “The caller told me that because of the Omicron variant and fear of Covid’s third wave, the government has begun plans to give booster doses. They are my vaccinations and other individuals. I received the information, “he said.
Kumar thought something was wrong when he was asked to pay 5,000 rupees for registration to take advantage of the booster effect. He refused to pay and instead filed a police complaint.
Police officers said scammers continue to think of new ways to fool people. The downside is that it constantly scans social media to find and contact people looking for Covid resources.
“When the Prime Minister appealed to the public to donate to the PM CARES fund during the first wave of Covid-19, fraudsters tricked people by circulating fake bank account details for donations. During the blockade, scammers tricked people in the name of providing oxygen bombs and other Covid resources, “said police spokesman Subhash Boken.
Talking about how to avoid such scams, he said people should not blindly believe in such random calls. “Check with government officials about the scheme. People shouldn’t fall into such a trap and check the information before making a payment,” Boken added.
According to police, these scams are committed by the same people with online scam expertise. They continue to change mobile numbers and methods of fraud. “In the first investigation, most of these numbers went back to online fraud hubs such as Jam Tara, Bharatpur, and Nu, which are notorious for online banking and other scams,” said a Cyber Police Department official. ET HealthWorld