Chandigarh, India: A woman in Chandigarh lost nearly ₹80,000 (approximately $960) after falling victim to a fake customer care scam linked to the quick-commerce app Blinkit. The fraud began when she searched for a customer support number on Google to report a damaged grocery order.
According to officials, the woman had placed a grocery order on Blinkit, which appeared intact from the outside but contained damaged products. Seeking a refund, she searched online for Blinkit’s customer care number instead of using the official app. The number she found turned out to be fraudulent.
As soon as she called the number, the scammers initiated contact through WhatsApp and convinced her that a refund process was underway. Under this pretext, they asked her to download a screen-sharing application such as AnyDesk. Once access was granted, the fraudsters gained control of her phone and were able to access banking and digital wallet applications.
Multiple unauthorized transactions followed, resulting in a total loss of ₹80,000 from her account.
The incident was highlighted by CyberDost, the official cyber safety awareness handle of India’s Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which issued a public warning on social media. Authorities explained that scammers often use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and paid advertisements to place fake customer care numbers at the top of Google search results, making them appear legitimate.
How the Scam Works
Cyber officials stated that after victims call the fake number, scammers:
- Call back via WhatsApp
- Claim to process refunds
- Ask victims to install screen-sharing or remote access apps
- Gain full control of the device
- Transfer money instead of issuing refunds
How to Stay Safe
CyberDost has advised consumers to:
- Contact customer support only through the official app or website
- Avoid trusting customer care numbers found via Google search without verification
- Never install screen-sharing or remote access apps for refunds
- Act immediately in case of fraud by calling 1930 or reporting on cybercrime.gov.in
Authorities continue to urge users of e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms to remain cautious, as customer care scams are on the rise across India.