When there is a will, there is a way, and the fraudsters have found a way to swindle money from gullible senior citizens and home-makers who are mostly unaware of the process. With the third wave around, people are keen on getting a booster shot. However, there are many who do not know the process, and this is helping the latest scam in the market.

Unfortunately, everything about the pandemic is being used to make money, and the latest bait is the promise of a booster shot. Thanks to hearsay, many want to get a booster shot, even in rural and semi-urban areas. So, the fraudsters are targeting these people by making calls to ‘help them book a slot’ for a booster dose.

While offering help, they are tricking the citizens into giving away their personal details like details of first and second vaccinations along with address, mobile number, and other details. And a few days after the call, the victim will receive another call asking them to confirm personal and vaccination details. This time, they tell the victim that they would receive a message on their registered mobile number along with an OTP, which is to be shared to confirm the booking of the booster shot.

In some cases, the fraudsters are also asking the victims to download a fake app on their mobile phone, mostly remote desktop apps, to help them in the booking process. Scammers are mostly targeting people in rural areas or elderly citizens who do not know how UPI, remote desktop apps, or internet banking work.

A story is narrated to get the OTP or phishing links are sent, and the victims are asked to fill in their details. Using these, the money in their accounts is siphoned off.

With increasing cases, the police warn that no government official will call and ask anyone to book slots. In fact, the process of registering over a phone call, too, does not exist. The only way to book a COVID vaccine is through the CoWIN platform, they reiterate. Another important point is always to book a booster shot through the CoWin site or through the Arogya Setu app. Also, it goes without saying that OTP cannot be shared with anyone, and it ‘has’ to be kept a secret.