Online fraudsters have come up with an innovative way to cheat people (especially senior citizens) – this time in the guise of COVID vaccine booster dose. Due to the recent surge in cases of COVID-19’s Omicron variant, the situation has paved the way for this type of online fraud. Mumbai Police has forewarned people to be vigilant of these new scams and that no such booster doses are available yet.
The modus operandi for this new fraud is simple. The caller, who identifies himself as a government employee, contacts the senior citizens and enquires with them if they are double vaccinated. Sometimes they do not ask but inform you that “you are double vaccinated and are due for a booster dose”. The caller may even share the correct age, date of birth, address, Aadhaar number and make it look very genuine.
When the senior citizen gives an affirmative answer, the scamster also shares the date of vaccination and centres to make it look more authentic.
After confirmation of the basic details, the scamster asks the victims if they are interested in taking a third vaccination, a booster dose, which is effective in fighting the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Once the victim falls prey to the conjob, the scamster asks them to register themselves to be eligible for the booster dose, which will be rolled out for the public in January or February.
The scamster then informs the victim that an OTP will be received on their phone. About 15 minutes after this phone call, another…
