Airtel CEO warns customers against cyber frauds, asks not to download third party apps

Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal has warned the telco's subscribers to be on the lookout for cyber frauds which are on the rise in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a letter to Airtel's subscribers Vittal has noted the ways in which fraudsters are trying to lure customers into either paying for VIP numbers or downloading third-party apps to hack into the account details. Vittal also warned customers about OTP-fraud which involves hackers getting the OTP from users to make payments.

He noted that there is a rise in frauds with increasing online transactions due to the pandemic. "With the growing second wave of the pandemic and lockdowns in various parts of the country, there has been a massive increase in online transactions. Unfortunately, there has also been a corresponding increase in Cyber fraud," Vittal said in a letter to Airtel's subscribers on Thursday.

When customers try to install this app, they are redirected to TeamViewer QuickSupport app which allows the fraudster to remotely take over the device and accounts associated with the device. "And so, if the customer does install it, they allow the fraudster into all their accounts connected to the device," the CEO said.