Digital toll system has made travel on National Highways easier. However, cyber fraudsters are now misusing it. Due to this, several cases of online fraud have emerged in recent days in the name of FASTag recharge and annual pass. Scammers misuse NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) name and logo to run fake advertisements on social media and Google. Clicking on these opens fake websites. These websites are designed to look exactly like the original websites, which is why people fall for them. Seeing this threat, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) has alerted people through their ‘X’ account. They have also shared some important ways to avoid this. Today in our ‘Cyber Literacy’ column, we will discuss about ‘FASTag scam’ in detail. Question- What is ‘FASTag Scam’? Answer- This is an online fraud where cybercriminals lure people to fake websites or links by offering heavy discounts on FASTag recharge or annual pass. They steal money through this. Scammers trap people in this scam under the pretext of FASTag recharge, activation and refund. Question- How do cyber fraudsters execute scams in the name of FASTag? Answer- For this, cyber fraudsters misuse NHAI’s name and logo, which makes the website look real. As soon as the user enters vehicle number, mobile number and payment details on the fake website, the money goes to the fraudsters’ accounts and no recharge happens. Understand this from the graphic below- Question- Why do people so easily fall for ‘FASTag scams’? Answer- There are several reasons for this- Question- What losses can occur due to negligence in FASTag recharge, activation and refund? Answer- Even a small negligence in FASTag related services can cause major losses. See all the risks in the graphic below- Question- What precautions should be taken to avoid FASTag scams? Answer- Use only official platforms for any FASTag related work. Don’t trust every link that appears at the top of Google search. Be cautious of any unrealistic discounts. Also keep in mind some other points. See these in the graphic below- Question- What is the correct way to recharge, activate and refund FASTag? Answer- Perform all FASTag related processes only through authorized banks or official apps/websites. Below are the correct and secure methods for activation, recharge and refund- Activation Recharge Refund Question- What to do immediately if you become a victim of FASTag scam? Answer- Take immediate action in such situation-
