People Asked to Avoid Suspicious Links, Verify Offers Before Making Payments

 Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday issued a fresh cyber safety advisory, warning citizens against fake online discounts, flashy advertisements and fraudulent shopping offers being used by cyber criminals to target unsuspecting users.

According to the advisory, cyber fraudsters are increasingly circulating fake “limited-time deals”, massive discount offers and attractive advertisements on social media platforms to create panic and urgency among shoppers, pushing them to click suspicious links and make online payments without proper verification.

Police said such scams are aimed at stealing banking details, confidential personal information and money through fake websites, cloned shopping portals and malicious payment gateways.

The advisory urged people to remain cautious while shopping online and advised users to verify every offer before making payments. Citizens were also asked to avoid opening suspicious links shared through SMS, WhatsApp messages, advertisements or social media posts.

Authorities further appealed to the public to stay alert against deals that appear “too good to be true” and use only trusted and verified platforms for online shopping and financial transactions.

“Fake discounts and unbelievable online offers are common tricks used by cyber criminals to cheat people. Users must remain vigilant and avoid falling prey to such frauds,” the advisory stated.

Police also advised the public to immediately report any cyber fraud, suspicious transaction or online scam by dialing the national cyber helpline 1930 or through the official cybercrime reporting portal  cybercrime.gov.in