Searching customer care on Google? Mumbai police warn of growing cyber scam

Scammers create websites with fake customer care numbers. Pic/istock

When a Kandivli resident searched Google for a customer care number to resolve an issue with a payment app, he believed he was taking the quickest route to customer support. Instead, he allegedly ended up speaking to a fraudster.

Within minutes, the scammer, posing as a customer care executive, had convinced him to download a remote-access application. By the time the victim realised something was wrong, money had allegedly been siphoned from his bank account.

Cybercrime police officials say such cases are becoming increasingly common across Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with fraudsters exploiting Google searches, fake business listings, and deceptive websites to target people looking for help with banks, UPI apps, courier companies, airlines, hotels, and e-commerce platforms.

Unlike traditional scams that begin with suspicious messages or unsolicited calls, these rackets start with the victim actively seeking assistance. "The victim believes they are contacting customer support. In reality, they are initiating contact with a cybercriminal," a cybercrime officer said.

"I thought I was speaking to customer care"

Shirish Gaikwad, a 42-year-old businessman from Thane allegedly lost over R2 lakh after searching online for a customer care number for a payment issue.

"The person who answered claimed to be a company executive and assured me that the issue would be resolved immediately. He persuaded me to install a remote-access application which, I guess, allowed them to gain access to my device," Gaikwad said.

A scam hidden in plain sight

The modus operandi is deceptively simple. Fraudsters create fake websites, online listings, social media pages, and business profiles carrying customer care numbers of popular brands. When users search terms such as "customer care number", "refund helpline" or "customer support", these fake contacts appear among the search results.

"Many people assume that the first few results on Google are genuine, but that's not always the case. Fraudsters create websites using the names of popular banks, payment apps and companies, and use search-engine optimisation techniques, fake business listings, and sometimes even paid promotions to push those pages higher in search results," a cyber police officer explained.

Another police official posted in Thane police cyber cell added, "The targets are people who are already stressed, those facing failed transactions, delayed refunds, courier issues or blocked accounts."

What To Do During The Golden Hour

If you realise you have been cheated:
>> Call 1930 immediately and register a complaint
>> Contact your bankand request the transaction be blocked or flagged
>> Take screenshots of messages and payment
>> File a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

It starts from a Google search for customer helpline
>> Victim searches Google for a customer care number
>> Fraudster's number appears through a fake listing or website
>> Fraudster gains trust and scams the victim

Red flags
>> If you're asked to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or a similar app
>> Asked to scan a QR code to receive money
>> Pressured to act quickly

Cyber Helpline: 1930
National Cyber Fraud Helpline
National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: cybercrime.gov.in