Internet card users warned of cyber fraud
ISLAMABAD- Beware of the lucrative offers received by e-mail to get double the amount of credit on the pre-paid Internet usage cards.
Many users of Comsats Internet Services have been conned by a hacker, who sent them e-mails telling them they are the winners of 100 percent extra hours which are deposited to their accounts when they recharge the account or create a new account with Comsats prepaid cards.
This fraud e-mail is generated by Comsats prepaid @yahoo.com e-mail address and as soon as one clicks the web link given in e-mail, a webpage similar to Comsats Internet Service (CIS) is displayed and user is directed to insert his or her card’s jacket number and scratch pin number. As soon as this information is inserted in the web-page, the user is deprived of his money, because the hacker on the other end steals this information and creates new accounts for himself of credit the money to his account.
An Internet-user who received this e-mail bought a card from the market, and tried to credit it to his account. Luckily, the fraud web-page was not loading so he contacted the CIS. The person attending the call at CIS told him that it was a fraud e-mail sent in by some hacker and inserting pre-paid card information on the website link will render the card useless, and the amount will not be credited towards Internet hours at CIS.
When asked, if they had sent a warning e-mail to all Comsats-users or advertised it in the Press, the person on the phone replied that they will be doing it shortly.
When contacted the Comsats Helpline said that they were planning to issue a warning to all Internet-users in Pakistan by sending them an e-mail and advertising about this fraud in Sunday’s newspapers.
But till then thousands of people will be deprived of their hard earned money through this cyber fraud.
An information technology expert told that the person who is committing this cyber fraud now cannot escape arrest as he will be traced easily through the telephone numbers from which is connecting to Internet and through other sophisticated technologies as well.
He said the Comsats Internet Service or the users who have been deceived will have to lodge an first information report (FIR) with Police to nab the culprit.
A police official of Rescue 15 also said that the people who have been defrauded can lodge complaints with the Police Station of their respective area, adding that when the complaint will be registered, the Investigation Officer will carry out investigations and he may also seek assistance of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), IT experts and PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited) to reach the unknown culprit.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:6/10/2002
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