Bad actors assume the role of a government figure, a bank employee, a court official, or any other person who holds authority over you. They may also impersonate people you know, like your boss, a friend or relative, or even a colleague. Depending on the authority figure or relationship they choose to mimic, these scammers weave a web of lies and try to exploit you.

• Phishing: An email or text may come disguised as an official communication but is actually meant to steal sensitive data or personal information such as security PINs, passwords, credit card details, or bank information. It becomes even harder to detect the deception when it comes with a convincing pretext. The victim may be led to believe that the email or text is coming from someone they know, like their boss or colleague, through number spoofing or compromised email accounts, making the phishing attempt all the more believable.
• Vishing: Vishing, or voice phishing, is meant to trick innocent victims into thinking they have received a call from a legitimate government office, a colleague, a boss, a friend or relative, or someone in a position of authority. Believing they are helping someone they know or following instructions from an authority figure, targeted victims often comply — ending up losing money, unknowingly leaking company information, or giving away their sensitive personal data.

Con artists scour social media profiles and all publicly available information, like your place of work or the name of your organization. Later, all of this information is used to craft a narrative that is used to manipulate innocent individuals. 

It refers to a situation where an unauthorized person follows someone into a building, such as a residential complex or an office, without any form of access card or identification. They might appear to be a delivery person, a technician or just an ordinary visitor. Often, they stop the gate from closing by using their foot, hand, or an object like a card just after the authorized person enters, and then make an unauthorized entry into the building. These types of scams not only compromise the security of data but also the safety of individuals inside. If a scammer pretends to be an IT technician and their identity is not properly verified, they may gain access to confidential information within an organization.

In this type of scam, cybercriminals plant either a physical bait, such as a USB drive, or a digital bait, like an advertisement containing malware. Upon using the USB or clicking on that ad, the safety of the device is compromised, along with the data it contains.

By setting a pretext, scammers contact victims and create a sense of fear or urgency. This could involve a family member in an emergency, a boss urgently requesting a document, or a suspicious call from the bank asking for your passwords or PINs. The scenario scammers create will be fake, but they exploit your vulnerability in that moment to get what they want.

Cybercriminals are using AI to sound more convincing on phone calls and even in videos. Within a matter of minutes, they can create human-like videos, clone voices, and mimic the texting style of a target’s friend or boss. It is especially difficult for the older generation to identify AI-generated voice or video scams, as they may not be as familiar with the latest technology.

If a caller is pressuring you to share sensitive information, it could be a scam. In such cases, disconnect the call immediately. To verify if the call was legitimate, try checking the official website or visit the organization in person for confirmation.

Someone may pressure you to make an urgent payment by citing an emergency, such as a friend or relative being in the hospital, or by threatening you with arrest over missed jury duty or a similar obligation, claiming you failed to meet some legal requirements. The goal of these scammers is to cloud your judgment so you act as they say, without thinking clearly and end up paying money or disclosing sensitive information.

If you receive a suspicious email or SMS demanding money, asking you to download an image or software, or requesting personal information, read the message carefully and look for errors in the text. Scam messages often contain grammatical mistakes or awkward phrasing, although with the rise of free AI tools, even that is starting to change.

Emails or texts that ask you to install software or download a file could be a scam. Even if the message appears to come from a trusted source, do not take any action without verifying it first.

Contact your bank or the relevant department in whose name the scam occurred. Inform them about the incident as soon as possible so they can take the necessary steps promptly.

Do not continue any communication with the scammer. Block their numbers and email addresses, and report the number on the Truecaller app to help warn others as well.

Change passwords wherever required and enable two factor authentication. Keep reviewing your accounts for suspicious activities. 

Flag scam phone numbers on Truecaller to help warn others and prevent more people from falling victim to pretexting scams.