8th Pay Commission Calculator And FASTag Recharge Scams: I4C Urges Users Not To Click Suspicious Links

The recommendations of the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) are being keenly awaited, and any update on the matter immediately draws the attention of central government employees. But, beware before clicking on links that show how salary would increase, the calculations, etc. The government has issued an advisory in this regard. Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), through its official social media handle Cyber Dost, posted on X (Formerly Twitter), “Government employees are being sent messages on WhatsApp asking them to download an APK file to check how much their salary will increase once the 8th Pay Commission is implemented. As soon as the APK file is installed, access to the mobile phone is transferred to the fraudsters.”

I4C is a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) initiative against cybercrime. In its recent advisory, it has asked people to be aware of fake links and apps and urged them not to click on suspicious links.

How Does The 8th Pay Commission Scam Work?

·       Fraudsters send messages on WhatsApp, asking the victims to share their bank account details under the pretext of showing them the salary calculations under the 8th CPC.

·       It asks to click on a link to download the file. Once you click on the link, an APK file is downloaded to the device.

·       Through this downloaded APK file, fraudsters get access to your bank account details on the device. Using the details, they can withdraw money from the account.

There have been cases where a victim has not shared any personal information with anybody, yet money was withdrawn illegally from their accounts without them suspecting the link they had clicked randomly on a social media platform or WhatsApp.

What To Keep In Mind

·       The government never sends APK files via WhatsApp.

·       Always download an APK file from a verified source. These files can give access to your device to a scammer, so be careful while downloading them. Unverified sources can be dangerous.

·       For any information regarding salary, pension, or pay commission, download the link from the official government website only.

However, this is not the only trap for victims. Another is related to FASTag, which has an even wider scope of coverage for people to be trapped.

I4C issued the advisory for this, too, recently. “FASTag recharge, activation, or refund has recently become a scam trap. Scammers promote fake customer support numbers on Google and, in the name of activation or refund, make users download screen-sharing apps to gain access to their phones.”

How Does The FASTag Scam Work?

It mostly traps people who travel through highways and want to buy an annual FASTag or recharge it more often.

·       The scammers create a fake website, looking like the original one, using the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) name and logo

·       Scammers run ads on social media accounts offering discount benefits on recharge. They also use search engine optimisation to show their website at the top of the search results.

·       When you click on the website link, it asks you to provide your vehicle number, Fastag Number, and Mobile Number. After making the payment, no pass is issued. Instead, they steal your bank details and may use them as a mule account.

How To Safeguard

·       Always apply for the FASTag Annual pass from the official website of NHAI or the Rajmargyatra mobile app.

·       Don’t consider the first link in Google Search to be a genuine link. Exercise caution.

·       Always use official sources for information and also for recharging your FASTag.

In the event of any fraud, call #1930 to inform the cyber security cell, or inform the police immediately.