As online banking, UPI apps, and digital wallets have become an integral part of our daily lives, fraudsters are becoming more innovative. Impersonation scams are back in a big way, and they’re more believable than ever. In this regard a reputed bank has listed a few common ways in which such scammers are duping people in the digital age.
Bank impersonation scam
In this type of a scam, you get a call or message from someone claiming there’s an issue with your bank account—maybe a suspicious transaction, maybe a block on your card. They sound helpful, and even concerned. But what they’re really after is your OTP, login credentials, or an urgent fund transfer to “secure” your account.
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Some ways in which you can identify such scams is by being cautious of any call asking for your password or OTP. Banks don’t make such calls. And if they’re rushing you to act right away, that would be a clear indication that any such call is most likely a scam call.
Police/government official scam
Scammers know how to leverage fear to their advantage. In this type of a scam, the caller claims to be from the police, income tax department, or another government agency. They might use legal jargon, talk about unpaid taxes or a criminal case, and then demand immediate payment—often in strange formats like gift cards or cryptocurrency.
Genuine police or government officials don’t ask for payments over the phone. And you need to know that you can’t “settle” a legal issue with an Amazon voucher.
CEO/Executive fraud (Business Email Compromise)
There is a new fraud going around in business circles and is known as a Business Email Compromise. Here, the fraudster poses as your company’s CEO or finance head, sending an email that looks genuine. And they ask you to do an urgent, confidential transfer to an account that has nothing to do with the business.
Some red flags that you can look out for in such scams are slight variations in email IDs, a tone that demands secrecy, and transfers that don’t make much sense.
Tech support scam
This is a scam that aims to create panic among people. You get a pop-up on your laptop or a call warning that your device is infected. The person on the call says they’re from a tech company and they urge you to install software or grant remote access. In reality, they want to gain control of your device to steal data or demand payment.
You can identify such frauds easily by being aware that you wouldn’t get any calls by any tech company to tell you that something is wrong with your device.
Friend or relative in distress scam
Most people are likely to fall for this scam, where you get a message or a call claiming to be from a friend or relative, saying that they are in an emergency and need money urgently. Sometimes it may be a hacked account or a fake number.
If something about the message or call it feels off, it probably is. You can always call the relative or friend to check if they are in an emergency or not before you send any money.
How can you protect yourself from frauds?
On how people can protect themselves from such frauds, Anis Ahmed, an anti-fraud expert and MENA Chapter Chair of the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS), warns, “Scammers are increasingly leveraging impersonation tactics to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information or transferring money under pressure. These scams ranging from fake bank calls to impersonations of government officials, senior executives, and even distressed friends or relatives are designed to exploit fear and urgency. Scammers are evolving rapidly — the key defense is a calm mind and informed vigilance. Any unsolicited call or message requesting personal or financial information should be treated with suspicion and verified through official channels.”
Another cybersecurity expert, Raina Verma, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and ACFCS, says, “We are entering an era where fraud will accelerate at a pace never seen before. Today, a well-written email is no longer a reliable indication of authenticity — it could easily be composed by AI. Many of you receive emails from your banks advising you on scam protection. However, always remember: some emails that seem legitimate might not be. If an email urges you to click a link and update information, pause. Lesson number one: Never click links in unsolicited emails. Anything that pressures you to bypass your own security checks is a clear red flag. We must continuously train ourselves and others to recognize these warning signs before taking action.”
Raina Verma has given the following tips to protect yourself from such scams:
Verify before you act
Always call or directly visit the organization’s official website to confirm any requests you receive. Never act on the email that you have received by clicking on the links provided. This is a no no!
Never share private information
Especially over email, SMS, or unexpected phone calls. Legitimate organizations will not ask for sensitive information like OTPs, login details, or full passwords. Also, ask yourself if the bank has to do this how many people they will have to call, it’s not even possible humanly for a legit call centre to do this! Try to make sense of things. Ask yourself why you are so special!
Watch out for urgent or emotional appeals
Scammers often create a false sense of urgency whether it’s pretending a loved one is in trouble, your CEO requesting payment, or fake government threats. Anything that you think is genuine and you want to act, make that call yourself.
Inspect email addresses carefully
Look for slight variations or misspellings in sender addresses that mimic legitimate companies. This is a hard one, hence the rule is to use the app on your phone or visit the website on official Handle.
Be skeptical of unusual payment methods
Any request for payment through gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers is highly suspicious. But in the moment we forget all this, hence don’t be skeptical but be lazy and don’t do nothing and if you get more calls you know these are some fraudsters trying to scam you.
“To protect yourself, never share OTPs or passwords, scrutinize email addresses and URLs for inconsistencies, avoid clicking on unknown links, and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all accounts. If someone claims your relative is in trouble, “call them directly and ask a question only they would know—emotional scams prey on your instincts.” In a world of increasingly sophisticated fraud, staying alert, skeptical, and informed remains your best defense,” Ahmed says.
“We are now not a person but a device. Our digital footprints are all over the place. Scammers are on a hunt and we have to be right all the time but they only have one time, hence have a course of action for yourself such as make payments only during certain parts of the day when you can genuinely sit and focus. Don’t rely on someone telling you a loved one is in trouble, call the loved one. Almost never go for any investment which claims unbelievable returns since unbelievable may be unreal. These are almost the most top category of frauds, hence train yourself since the first line of defense for you is YOU”, adds Raina Verma.
