How a fake delivery call to a Pakani woman led to her kid’s teacher being scammed
A cautionary tale of a WhatsApp scam has sparked a heated debate online after a Pakani man shared how his wife was targeted a fraudster. The incident, which took place during a busy afternoon as the woman prepared for a school festival, resulted in a family friend losing money.A Reddit post about the scam has prompted people to share similar stories. (Representative image). (Unsplash)“Probably going to be a bit of a detailed post. My wife is a simple person. Not tech savvy and definitely not scammer savvy. It does exasperate me at times, this ‘seedha-pan’. She doesn’t text – at all. Strictly a call or voice notes person,” the man wrote.Also Read: Indians spend 102 hours a year second guessing scam messages, McAfee findsHow was she scammed?The man explained that one day, when his wife was busy making preparations for a festival at her kid’s school, she received a call from a scammer asking for an OTP to deliver some items.“Baji ap ka parcel aaya hai. WhatsApp pe aik confirmation code ap ko aaya hoga school se, please woh share kardein.” Without suspecting anything, she gave the code, and the scammer told her that her items would be delivered in a short time.The husband learned about the scam when one of his cousins called him, asking why his wife was asking for money on WhatsApp instead of calling. Instantly, he asked his wife to call everyone on her call l to warn them not to send money.However, one person in her contact l had already fallen prey to the scam. The man explained, “Our kid’s tuition teacher – (one I considered smart till now, btw) calls me and says ‘Bhai maine 100k transfer kardiye, ap ke naam ke to account nahi thay khair hai na? Bachay bhi bas abhi gaye hain unke daada aye thay pick karnay’.”He then informed her that she had been scammed. The man posted on Reddit not just to share the story but also to discuss his dilemma.“On one hand, the tuition teacher got scammed because wife got hacked. So I feel guilty and am thinking of compensating 50k – but not the complete 100k because it is to some extent her fault (because she didn’t even bother checking with either of us and she gabs with the wife nearly every day over calls). On the other hand – tough luck. Ideally I shouldn’t pay for her makes.”In an edit, he later explained, “Going to refund the full amount to the kids’ teacher. Thanks Reddit fam for helping me make up my mind on it and ignoring the advice of my conservative banker colleagues. As someone rightly said – her heart was in the right place, even if she made a make – and that to me is worth a lot more than a measly 100k. Missus is lucky to have her as a friend!”How did social media react?An individual posted, “This scam is going on like fire these days. No one is safe from it. The elderly, underage and naive people like your partner are usually the victims. Recently, stopped an elderly relative from doing the same. Snatched his phone away, talked to the scammer, and told him to get lost. We need to educate people around us that nothing can be taken at face value. Unfortunate but true.”Also Read: CBI busts fake Kuwait e-visa network that duped hundreds of Indians with bogus job offersAnother commented, “Do you have proof that the tuition teacher made the payment? Bhai 2 jaga se scam na ho jana.” The OP responded, “Woh to hai. Screenshots liye thay, jo maine aik colleague jo ke FIA ke director ka dost hai unhe bhejein hain. Don’t have much hope though.”A third expressed, “The Tuition teacher may not be tech savvy, but her heart was in the right place.” A fourth wrote, “My ser got scammed in the same way; she is like your wife in ‘seedha pan’. But her contact l was fully aware that she would not ask for money, so no one sent any. Hence saved.”(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
