Swiggy Instamart user loses Rs 34,000 in fake customer support scam: Here is what happened and how to stay safe
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A Swiggy Instamart customer reportedly lost Rs 34,000 as he sought help for an expired food product. According to a recent report, the incident allegedly took place in Nalasopara, Maharashtra, when the customer received an expired packet of Kellogg’s Choco and searched for the platform’s customer care number online. When the person reached out to the customer care number found online, the alleged representative asked him to switch to WhatsApp and shared an APK file, claiming that it’s required to help resolve the complaint. Once the alleged process of recovery was completed, the customer found that two transactions that add up to Rs 34,000 had been made from his account. Follow along with the news copy to check how the scam was done and how you can stay safe.
SurveySwiggy Instamart: Scam details
According to a video shared by KKK News on Instagram, a Swiggy Instamart customer from Nalasopara in Maharashtra lost Rs 34,000 to scammers. The customer received an expired Kellogg’s Choco packet, and when he tried to reach out to the platform, the user got scammed. According to the details shared in the video, the user found the customer care number of the platform online, and when he dialled that number, the other person claimed to be a representative from Swiggy customer support.
The person also added that the alleged Swiggy customer support person asked him to continue the conversation on WhatsApp. Following that, to help with the issue, he sent the customer an APK file and claimed that downloading it was necessary to resolve his complaint.
While explaining the scam process, the customer said that he was told not to share any one-time password (OTP). Instead, he was asked to open Google Pay and wait for a few minutes. Soon after that, the customer’s phone screen allegedly turned black, followed by a notification asking him to wait. He later discovered that Rs 25,000 had been withdrawn from his account, followed by another transaction of Rs 9,000, and the total loss was reportedly of about Rs 34,000.
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How to stay safe
The scammers are getting smarter and smarter, and if you want to stay safe against such scams, then you need to be vigilant. Make sure that you only reach out to the food delivery platform via the official app or website. Other than that, keep in mind that the company representatives never ask you to shift to WhatsApp or any other social platforms; the conversations are held in the Swiggy environment itself.
The instance someone asks you to shift to another platform, then keep in mind that it is a red flag. Other than that, make sure that you never download APK files sent by unknown people over WhatsApp, SMS or email. Also, these food delivery apps don’t ask for OTPs, UPI PINs, ATM PINs, CVVs or other banking details.
