Beware Of Cyber Scams

The ongoing war in West Asia has shattered peace and stability in the region, long considered a hub of global trade and business. The risky military confrontation began after the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, prompting Iran to retaliate against both Israel and the US with missiles and drones. This unprovoked conflict has already triggered a global severe energy crisis. More importantly, the psychological fear instilled by the bitter fighting is intense among people in the affected countries. Hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrant workers toiling in Gulf countries are now gripped by anxiety and confusion as the conflict continues. 

However, scammers and unscrupulous individuals have found ways to exploit the fear and trauma caused by the conflict. They manipulate the workers psychologically and prey on their vulnerabilities by pretending to be rescuers. The scammers are clever enough to create scenarios that undermine the victims’ ability to evaluate the situation rationally.  When the impostors pose as government officials or helpers, innocent persons are likely to be trapped in their snare. A news report, published in this daily the other day stated that Nepali migrant workers have become victims of cyber fraud. Swindlers have impersonated officials from Nepali embassies and offered them fake emergency support. They have resorted to digital space and social networking sites to cheat the Nepali migrants working in Israel, Qatar and the UAE. 

They have reported that their WhatsApp accounts have been hacked and used to contact their friends and relatives, requesting one-time passwords (OTPs) and financial transfers, citing an emergency.  The victims have received calls from unfamiliar numbers. The unknown callers claim to be representatives from the Embassy of Nepal. They send a verification code and ask to request it, with a view to accessing the victims’ accounts.  This trick applies to extracting sensitive information or money from the victims. Officials from Nepali embassies and the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) in West Asia have alerted the Nepali community against the growing cases of cyber fraud targeting them. The potential victims have been advised never to share verification codes with unknown callers and to block doubtful contacts immediately. The diplomatic missions in the Gulf nations have made it clear that they have never requested OTPs or confidential information via phone or message. 

According to Nepal Police, scammers adopt a common tactic in which they send messages such as: “I’m in trouble, please send money urgently.” Sometimes they mention problems associated with mobile banking and ask for money to be transferred via QR codes. The hacked accounts are used to send messages to trusted contacts, seeking urgent financial support. In order to avoid the risk of falling into a trap, individuals should promptly call the suspected callers to verify the request and ignore unknown links or downloads. It is indeed pathetic that the migrant workers, who are enduring terrible conflict, have been targeted by fraudsters. The embassies in the affected nations have been regularly issuing advisories so that the Nepali workers will not face a security threat. It is the responsibility of NRNA members and embassies to work jointly to boost the morale of Nepali workers and make them aware of the potential cyber frauds.  The workers should rely on official and credible information provided by the embassies so that they do not fall prey to scammers.