Kerala Police warn against fake Flipkart GOAT sale scams
Kerala Police on Monday warned the public against a new cyber fraud in which scammers are using fake social media pages and advertisements in the name of Flipkart’s ‘GOAT’ Sale to cheat people. In a statement, the police said fraudsters have created fake Facebook pages resembling official Flipkart accounts using names such as “Flipkart GOAT SALE”, “Goat Sale Live”, “Offers Sale” and “FK Goats Offer” to lure unsuspecting customers.
The fake pages advertise expensive products such as mobile phones, laptops and other electronic gadgets at unusually low prices to attract buyers. Users clicking on the advertisements are redirected either to fake websites designed to resemble Flipkart’s official portal or to private WhatsApp numbers.
The scammers then create a false sense of urgency through messages claiming “limited stock” or that the offer is about to end, and persuade customers to transfer money as booking charges, advance payments, delivery fees or offer confirmation charges.
After receiving the money, the fraudsters either fail to deliver the products, demand additional payments, or become unreachable, the statement said.
The police advised the public not to trust offers circulated through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram without proper verification.
Consumers should verify the authenticity of offers only through Flipkart’s official mobile application or website and should avoid making payments or sharing personal information through links received on social media.
People were also advised not to transfer money to unknown bank accounts or UPI IDs and never to share confidential information such as OTPs, bank account details, debit or credit card numbers, CVV or PIN with anyone. The police cautioned that advertisements offering costly products at prices far below the prevailing market rate are often traps laid by cyber fraudsters and urged people to verify the authenticity of such offers through official platforms before making any purchase. Victims of online financial fraud should immediately report the incident by calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or by filing a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, the police said.
