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HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TSCSB) is warning people about a scam wherein fraudsters, impersonating as employees of reputed courier companies, extort money from the victim. Adding that a sharp increase in such cases has been witnessed every year, 64 such cases were registered in a span of 25 days. The total monetary loss incurred by the public amounts up to Rs 18,24,56,908 and the amount saved by TSCSB by collaborating with the NCRB totals up to Rs 4,77,01, 679.

In most cases, scammers were observed employing various tactics to induce fear among the victims. Some common methods include scammers posing as law enforcement or legal authorities, accusing the victim of being involved in a criminal activity. Falling prey to the hoax, the victim would attempt to avoid facing legal consequences and giving away the amount demanded by the impersonators.

Another common method was falsely asserting that a package addressed to the victim has been confiscated by law enforcement due to its alleged involvement in illegal activities such as containing drugs, foreign currency, money laundering etc.

For another set of victims, scammers use personal information obtained from social media or other sources to create a sense of vulnerability, making the victim believe the threats are credible.

Creating a sense of urgency, scammers often impose tight deadlines, demanding immediate action to resolve the fabricated issues. This pressure is designed to prevent victims from thinking rationally.

Scammers may advise victims to not discuss the situation with family or friends, isolating them and making it more likely for the scam to succeed.