SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday issued a fresh cyber safety advisory, cautioning the public against fraudulent online discounts, misleading advertisements and fake shopping offers being used by cyber criminals to target unsuspecting users.
According to the advisory, fraudsters are increasingly circulating deceptive “limited-time” deals, steep discount offers and attractive promotional advertisements across social media platforms. These tactics are designed to create urgency and pressure users into clicking suspicious links and completing online payments without verification.
Police said such scams are intended to steal banking credentials, sensitive personal data and money through fake websites, cloned e-commerce portals and malicious payment gateways.
Citizens have been urged to exercise caution while shopping online, verify all offers before making payments, and avoid clicking on unverified links received via SMS, WhatsApp, advertisements or social media posts.
The advisory further warned against offers that appear “too good to be true”, advising people to use only trusted and authenticated platforms for online purchases and financial transactions.
It stated that fake discounts are a common tactic employed by cyber criminals to defraud users, and stressed the need for constant vigilance.
The police have also asked the public to immediately report any suspected cyber fraud, suspicious transactions or online scams by calling the national cyber helpline 1930 or using the official portal cybercrime.gov.in.
