Phishing scam hits cricket! ICC loses Rs. 20 crore

In a horrifying phishing scam, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has lost around Rs. 20 crore.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Jan 22 2023, 17:19 IST

BEWARE! Here is how NOT to check your PF balance; man loses Rs. 1.23 lakh in scam

ICC — 1/7 In a shocking turn of events, when a man was looking to check his PF balance online, he was caught by fraudsters and lost Rs. 1.23 lakh! (Reuters)

ICC — 2/7 This is how he lost money in this PF balance scam. He was searching for the EPOFO phone number on the Internet, but came across a fake phone number, according to Free Press Journal. He called it and the person there convinced him to download an app that provided the fraudster with remote access to his gadget. He also shared the code for making a payment. Before, the innocent man knew what happened, he had lost the whopping amount of Rs. 1.23 lakh! (Pixabay)

ICC — 3/7 In short, do not check PF balance by searching online and clicking on random links or talking to anyone. Just remember, EPFO will never ask you to make any payment or download any app or even ask you for any payment code or OTP. So, if you want to know how to check PF balance online, we explain it here. (HT_PRINT)

ICC — 4/7 How to check PF balance Via UMANG App - For checking PF Balance via UMANG App, you will first have to download the app and then log in by entering your UAN and OTP (one-time password) to check the PF account balance. (UMANG Twitter)

ICC — 5/7 How to check PF balance Via Text Message – EPFO members whose UANs are registered with EPFO can check their PF balance by sending a text message (SMS) to 7738299899 by typing 'EPFOHO UAN ENG' using your registered mobile number with the UAN (Universal Account Number). It can be noted that the last three digits of the message represents the language in which you want to receive the message. (Pixabay)

ICC — 6/7 How to check PF balance Via Missed Call – Members also have the option of checking the PF balance via call. Registered users can give a missed call to 011-22901406 from their UAN registered mobile number after which they will receive an SMS with details of the PF account balance. (Unsplash)

ICC — 7/7 How to check PF balance Via EPFO website - Visit the EPFO portal www.epfindia.gov.in and click on the ‘For Employees’ option under the ‘Our Services’ dropdown menu. Click on 'Member Passbook' and enter your UAN and password. Once you do so you will be able to see your passbook. It can be noted that people who have worked in more than one organisation will have different member IDs to choose from. (MINT_PRINT)

Know how the International Cricket Council lost Rs. 20 crore in a phishing scam. (ICC-cricket.com)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been hit by an phishing scam! The apex international cricketing body which overlooks and administers cricket across the world lost a whopping amount of money - around US $2.5 million which roughly translates to Rs. 20 crore, ESPNcricinfo reports. However, the exact amount of loss in this online scam has not been revealed, but the report confirms that the scam wasv initiated in the USA in 2022. Scammers used Business Email Compromise (BEC) technique to transfer the amount from ICC. It is also known as email account compromise scam. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) mentions it as "one of the most financially damaging online crimes" of all!

What is a BEC scam? In this type of phishing scam, companies or individuals are duped into making wire transfers of money under the belief that they are doing so legitimately. Scammers use an email to trick someone into sending money. "BEC scams are initiated when a victim receives false wire instruction from a criminal attempting to redirect legitimate payments to a bank account controlled by fraudsters," FBI explained about BEC scams. Here, the scammer poses as a trusted person and asks for a fake bill to be paid.

How ICC became a victim of phishing

Shockingly, fraudsters not only scammed ICC once, but the cricket body fell victim four times! The reports say that officials of the ICC did not even suspect being a victim of the online fraud. The fraud was detected on January 18. However, it still hasn't been revealed how fraudsters transferred such a huge amount of money from the ICC account. Whether they were in direct touch with officials at the head office of ICC in Dubai or if they targeted any vendor or consultant of ICC.

The ESPNcricinfo report further says that the ICC is silent on the incident. “It has reported the suspected fraud to law enforcement agencies in the USA and an investigation is underway,” the report added.

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