Don’t trust Google Maps for banks’ contact details – At least not for now.
Scammers are now increasingly interested in defrauding users through Google Maps that lets users change or correct the listings displayed on the service. Seeing this as an effectively exploitable opportunity, scammers are modifying the contact information of banks on the app’s listings.
This is a wicked tactic without even performing any complex tricks or using advanced tools fraudsters can trap innocent bank customers. Since the contact details have been updated by scammers, bank customers will call them instead of the bank’s official customer service. This way, scammers can easily extract sensitive banking data that use it to steal money from the victims’ accounts.
A warming has been put out by Maharashtra, India, police regarding the new scam. The police, reportedly, receive multiple complaints in the past month in which bank customers had to go through such a traumatic experience. However, the warning is applicable to Indian scammers only and not on cybercriminals in other parts of the world trying to benefit from Google Maps.
So far, Google hasn’t issued a statement in response to the news of the scam. Previously, the company told an Indian daily The Hindu that:
“Overall, allowing users to suggest edits provides comprehensive and up-to-date info, but we recognize there may be occasional inaccuracies or bad edits suggested by them. When this happens, we do our best to address the issue as quickly as possible.”
It is recommended that you don’t trust the contact details of any bank on Google Maps and only refer to the bank’s official website for authentic information. Alternately, check the back side of your credit or debit card as it usually contains the phone number of your bank’s customer service. Stay safe!
