HYDERABAD: The number of cases of OLX fraud in the city has seen a steady rise, with over 3,800 cases recorded in the city last year. Among all three commissionerates, Hyderabad registered the maximum number of OLX fraud cases with 1,642 cases, followed by IT corridor with 1,309 cases.
In most cases, it was found that fraudsters posted pictures of people in military uniform on the platform, claiming that they wanted to sell used vehicles, electronic goods, furniture and other expensive items.
Police say that the fraudsters pretended to be Army officials to gain buyers’ trust.
According to police, the accused persons used QR codes to make all the transactions. “It is important that the buyer verifies the product posted in OLX portal physically, before transferring any amount to the seller. In most cases, the accused persons showed fake ID cards to procure payment even before buyers received the items,” said a cyber crime police officer.
In November last year, a 40-year-old businessman from Secunderabad lost Rs 20,000 due to a fake OLX advertisement. The victim contacted a person who posted a sale ad for a second-hand Activa. It was agreed that a payment of Rs 24,000 would be made. The victim paid Rs 20,000 after the fraudster sent him his Army ID card. On receiving the payment, the accused allegedly switched off his phone.
OLX conducted an all-India survey with 7,500 netizens, between the age groups of 18-55 to understand the state of cyber safety preparedness. The survey included 700 participants from Hyderabad.
The survey found that at least 61% of people in Hyderabad had shared their phone number online, while 22% had shared their OTP.
In most cases, it was found that fraudsters posted pictures of people in military uniform on the platform, claiming that they wanted to sell used vehicles, electronic goods, furniture and other expensive items.
Police say that the fraudsters pretended to be Army officials to gain buyers’ trust.
According to police, the accused persons used QR codes to make all the transactions. “It is important that the buyer verifies the product posted in OLX portal physically, before transferring any amount to the seller. In most cases, the accused persons showed fake ID cards to procure payment even before buyers received the items,” said a cyber crime police officer.
In November last year, a 40-year-old businessman from Secunderabad lost Rs 20,000 due to a fake OLX advertisement. The victim contacted a person who posted a sale ad for a second-hand Activa. It was agreed that a payment of Rs 24,000 would be made. The victim paid Rs 20,000 after the fraudster sent him his Army ID card. On receiving the payment, the accused allegedly switched off his phone.
OLX conducted an all-India survey with 7,500 netizens, between the age groups of 18-55 to understand the state of cyber safety preparedness. The survey included 700 participants from Hyderabad.
The survey found that at least 61% of people in Hyderabad had shared their phone number online, while 22% had shared their OTP.
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