Beware of phishing scams

With the increased reliance on mobile phones and home internet devices during the pandemic, cyber crimes are on an accelerated rise. With the lockdown situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, cybercriminals have targeted the emerging vulnerability resulting from the work from home framework, certain news articles even claim that the many cyber scams going around have doubled during the COVID-19 lockdown and it seems like the world has come to a time where one must not only take care of their physical health but also be on the alert for any financial ailments that scams may invoke.

One such scam doing many rounds over the past few weeks is that of phishing. This particular cyber threat is one that probes you to click on a URL that may seem very similar to a legitimate URL that you frequently use and while you think you’re signing into a safe webspace, the fraudulent URL captures your login credentials (User Id, password, and other inputs).

Wondering how this is possible?

Cyber crime predators create fraudulent websites in a manner that replicated legitimate websites, making it difficult for you to recognise that you have visited a fraudulent site. These URLs may be sent to you in Emails, SMSes or social media posts. Once you click on this URL and use your credentials to sign in, your details are captured.

It has been brought to our attention that such a fraudulent URL,which may or may not be similar to the legitimate Upstox website URL, is being circulated too. On this note, we would like for you to remain extra cautious to ensure your financial portfolio is free from such threats. 

Here is what you can do to stay alert and avoid becoming a victim of any such phishing scam:

• Use only the Upstox Pro mobile app or pro.upstox.com to log into your Upstox account and trade. You can also click on this link and bookmark it to ensure you use only this link
• Look for the Lock icon next to the url- pro.upstox.com. This indicates that you have a secure connection with our servers.
• Avoid using any other website URL as it could direct you to a fraudulent website as part of a phishing scam to try and steal your User ID, Password and any other details
• Do not give out your Upstox credentials( i.e. User Id /password / any other details) to anyone over the phone or on any website
• Change the password of your account at regular intervals (preferably every 30-45 days)
• Report any suspicious and unrecognised activity, if found on your account

We wish you the best financial and physical health during this time and hope you will remain on the alert with such scams doing the rounds.