Amazon gift card: ‘Boss Scam’ hits TN Collectors

CHENNAI: District Collectors in Tamil Nadu have become the recent target of impostors who are using their photographs as display pictures (DP) on WhatsApp and sending messages to their subordinates asking them to buy an Amazon gift voucher and send them.

Online shopping giant, Amazon terms this a ‘Boss Scam’ wherein you receive an unexpected/unsolicited email or text message from your boss or a leader in an organisation asking you to purchase Amazon pay gift cards and send it or the claim codes to them.

Closer to the city, Tiruvallur Collector Alby John’s photograph has been used by an impostor who sent a message to his sub-ordinate from the number 8088765749, registered in Karnataka. Alby John told DT Next that a police complaint has been given.

Pudukottai Collector Kavitha Ramu had an even more bizarre experience as the scamsters sent a message to her official number, trying to con her.

“This person has taken conning to a new level. They have used my photo attempting to dupe me, as me, to me!,” she posted on Facebook. The same impostor also attempted the same modus operandi with her sub-ordinate official from a Maharashtra registered number, 7219248422.

According to Amazon, the scammer may claim they are out of town, in a conference call, or otherwise engaged and that is why they need you to purchase for them.

A Cybercrime officer said government officials are an easy target for ‘boss scam’ as the photographs of district collectors and the phone numbers of all officials in a district are easily available online. ‘Boss scam’ is widespread across the world. Two weeks ago, Chandigarh DGP Praveer Ranjan’s photograph was used by impostors in a similar scam attempt.

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