I almost fell for a voice phishing scam: Goa CM Pramod Sawant

The chief minister said it is important to spread awareness about cyber fraud

Hassled by phone calls soliciting loans or surreptitious phone requests for your financial details, like an Aadhaar number? It turns out, fraud phone scamsters don't even spare top politicians.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday revealed how he almost fell for a voice phishing scam during his recent visit to Delhi and even pulled out his Aadhaar card from his wallet to share the number with the fraud caller, before common sense dawned on him.

"It can happen to anyone. I was in Delhi and at around 5:30 pm, I got a call, in which the caller sought my Aadhaar card number. I said, 'I do not have it'. The caller said, my bank account would be frozen from the next day if I did not share the number. He directly told me," Sawant said on Tuesday.

The chief minister was speaking at a function organised to mark the inauguration of a cyber forensic-cum-training laboratory near Panaji.

"I was also surprised by this. I was wondering why? I flipped open my purse and even pulled out my Aadhaar card, then it suddenly occurred to me, why should I share my Aadhaar card number, let my account be frozen. No issues. So I did not share my Aadhaar card number," Sawant also said.

The chief minister also underlined the importance of ensuring that awareness about cyber frauds such as voice phishing should reach every individual in society.

"We use debit cards, credit cards for ease of doing business, while those who commit crimes use the same (financial tools) for the ease of doing their business," Sawant said.

"While we use it for the purpose of studying and innovation, criminal minds are making use of it for other nefarious purposes. Whether it is WhatsApp or Facebook," he added.

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