CAUGHT! Scammer tries to pull off online gift card scam on Viacom18 counsel - fails miserably

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Cyber crimes are at an all-time high. As per data released by Delhi Police, more than 25000 cyber fraud cases have been filed till August 2023, marking a 212 percent increase compared to the previous year's 8000 registered cases in the same period. The scammers are also getting increasingly audacious, even starting their crime sprees on social media apps to catch victims in their comfort zones. Recently, a scammer tried to pull off an online gift card scam against the general counsel of Viacom18, a media company. However, he was not prepared for the way the head of the legal division caught him in the act.

Anil Lale, the general counsel of Viacom18, shared the details of the incident on a LinkedIn post along with a screenshot of the entire conversation with the scammer. He said, “Had a very interesting conversation with a scammer today who was impersonating a senior leader of our organisation and seeking immediate assistance in purchasing gift cards for a client. Unfortunately, the scammer blocked me before I could finish the conversation”.

We are now on WhatsApp. Click to join .

The scammer attempted to pull off a typical gift card scam on Lale. For the unaware, a gift card scam is where scammers trick victims into purchasing online gift cards and sharing the card's code or PIN with them. Usually, scammers pretend to be tech support workers, security agents, and other people of authority to fool the victim.

In this case, the scammer pretended to be a senior leader of Viacom18. The conversation started with the scammer saying, “Hello Anil Lale please get back to me as soon as you get my text, thanks” from an international number adding he needed the general counsel to get something done urgently.

Upon asking about the