Beware of fake vaccine registration SMSes; scammers on prowl in J&K [details]

India is on a vigorous vaccination drive as it aims to inoculate 1.3 billion people in the country. So far, 18 crore COVID vaccine doses have been administered with over 90 lakh doses ready to be given to eligible citizens. Amidst this, there are forces trying to hinder the process by using malicious tricks. One such scam has come to light from J&K, where people are receiving SMSes asking them to register for vaccine.

One might assume what's so wrong about getting SMSes asking people to register for the jab. But these messages are coming from unknown senders and include a suspicious link, which redirects users to download an app dubbed as My-Vaci app. Currently, vaccine registrations are happening only on CoWin and Aarogya Setu, which are managed by the government.

The messages people are receiving in J&K are not only from a random local phone number, but also urges people to download the suspicious My-Vaci app, which has no link to the government or the official vaccination process whatsoever. The SMS reads: "REGISTER FOR VACCINE NOW for people 18+ above!!" and attaches the said link to the app.

Beware of fraud messages

Several people have complained about receiving the same message. Currently, it appears to be targeted towards the people of J&K, but it's only a matter of time before it crosses the borders into other states. Before it comes to that, Baramulla SSP Rayees M Bhat, IPS, flagged off the fraudulent messages in circulation and urged people to stay clear of the malicious link as it has no link to vaccination for 18+.

There's no saying what could be the consequences of visiting the link. Installing the app or merely visiting the website might install malicious software on your phone, and steal your personal information and put at risk your financial credentials.

Even though getting the appointment slot for 18+ is not easy, eligible citizens are still advised to go through the official channels and never trust unverified websites and their claims. My-Vaci app is fake and people are urged to avoid downloading it or engaging in similar fraudulent apps.

Cyber frauds busted in Kashmir

Kashmir cyber police said on Tuesday that it has successfully recovered Rs 13 lakh which were collected in multiple cyber frauds by scamsters. A police spokesman said that in one incident, one complainant was duped Rs 2 lakh through UPI scam.