ANOTHER alarm bell has been sounded on the digital front with the latest finding that India witnessed a relatively high rate of tech support scams in the last one year. The survey by Microsoft’s 2021 Global Tech Support Scam Research has revealed that seven in ten consumers in India encountered tech support scams through unsolicited calls, emails, text messages promising financial returns. That the number has seen an eight-point increase in the last 12 months points to the vulnerability of the consumers in India who can be easily tricked into a scam.

 

This is the dark side of the digital revolution which demands multi-tier security system lest people lose their hard-earned money to faceless conmen. Lack of tech literacy is the prime reason behind such scams which puts the onus on the consumers to get acquainted with the changing dynamics of the con game. It is quite a difficult task in a country like India given the general lethargy towards digital security. This brings the entire focus on the financial institutions which are linked with consumers’ mobiles to ensure multi-command clearance of any transaction. It can be cumbersome but highly effective.