News

Gaming App Fraud

Weapon of Cyber Fraud in Children’s Hand

News: Two cases have been reported recently:

Cyber criminals always keep looking for ignorant section of society to commit fraud. In this trick, they made the children's mobile gaming app as their weapon. The name of this gaming app used as a weapon for cheating is Garena Free Fire. After the ban on PUBG, it has become very popular among children. Through this app, different complaints of fraud are reaching the cyber police station. Two such cases have been reported in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.

In one case, the 3,300 rupees were withdrawn from the gaming app from the account of Prashant Agarwal, who lives in Lalpur.  In another incident,  Rs 2400/- from the account Kishore Kumar, a resident of Bariatu, Ranchi, was deducted as his nine year old son played the game. Both frauds had been done through the Free Fire gaming app itself.

[Source: the420.in]

News Analysis:

Free Fire game allows multiple people to play on the same platform. For this, virtual hacks, arms, dresses, shields, diamonds are bought in the app. Cybercriminals demand online payments in the name of giving gaming apps virtual tools such as dresses, shields, hacks, diamonds etc. and enhancing labels to play games. In this way, with the help of children, they take the details of the bank's debit card (ATM card) of parents. They break into accounts by taking card number and CVV. They also take children's help in getting OTP sent on parent's mobiles.

Some cyber criminals also become co-players in the game and help the target children with 'cheat sheets' to make them win the game. By this they earn their trust and take ATM card details, OTP etc of their parents. 

WeSeSo Advice

• Parents must make their children aware of such frauds. They must regularly interact with their children on their mobile activities and habits.
• This kind of news analysis must be shared with children.
• Many gaming Apps come loaded with malware. So before installation, enough search should be done on internet about the authenticity of App and its provider.
• They should keep their mobiles protected with biometric lock so that children are unable to see OTP without their permission.
• Immediately call National Helpline Number 155260 if you become a victim and report on cybercrime.gov.in

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