One more red flag is searching for contact on Google and then calling the numbers that show up. This paper reported how a Mira Road resident was cheated of almost Rs 1 lakh while trying to book an appointment with a neurologist online. The police intervened and the complainant managed to recover Rs 77,000.

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The victim was looking for a neurologist appointment for a consultation. On recommendation, he looked up the net and called a number that popped up. He was told to pay Rs 10 and fill out an online form with his debit card details. The next he knew a hefty sum had been deducted in two different transactions.

A fraudster had created a fake web page which had contact numbers and addresses. The police stated that conmen are making fake pages to dupe people who turn to Google for contact details.

Fake web pages are turning out to be a big trap because they of course look similar to the original, that is the whole point, but also because people are in a hurry at times and could not bother to re-check. 

One also has to do a mental double take when asked to pay amounts like R5 and R10 by card. Instead, ask the person talking online that you will come to the office/space, pay an amount and take an appointment.