🧠 “They Don’t Hack Systems—They Hack People: Real Stories of Social Engineering”

SYBER SECURE

"Ordinary people. Unbelievable scams. One common mistake—trusting too easily."

🖊️ SHUBHRA • 23 July, 2025 • Cybersecurity & Human-Centered Threat Analysis

🔗 Read in Hindi

📖 The Stranger Who Knew Too Much

It was a typical Thursday morning.

Sunil, a 19-year-old student, was sipping tea and scrolling through memes when his phone rang.

“Hello, is this Sunil Sharma?”
“Yes, who’s this?”
“This is Priya from your bank. There’s been a suspicious login attempt from your account. We need to confirm your identity to protect your funds.”

Sunil’s heart skipped.

He wasn’t sure if he’d used public Wi-Fi the night before. Maybe someone really did try to hack him.

“Can you confirm your last four digits of your Aadhaar?” the woman asked calmly.

She already knew his name. Her tone was confident. Professional.
She even quoted the last 4 digits of his account number accurately.

“Now, for verification, please tell us the OTP we just sent you.”

Beep. A message arrived. He read it out loud: “Your OTP is 834106.”

There was a pause.

Then the line disconnected.

Moments later, ₹19,000 disappeared from his bank account.

🕵️ What Is Social Engineering?

Sunil didn’t get hacked through software.
He got hacked through trust.

This is called social engineering—the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or giving away confidential information. Attackers often impersonate authority, create panic, or build trust to deceive their targets.

And it can happen to anyone.

Let’s look at more real-world examples to understand how social engineering works in daily life.

🎬 Scenario 1: The WhatsApp OTP Scam

👨‍🦳 Meet Ramesh

Ramesh, a retired schoolteacher, got a WhatsApp message:

“Hi Uncle, I accidentally sent my OTP to your number. Please send it back 🙏.”

Moments later, he received an actual WhatsApp code:

"Your WhatsApp verification code is 403927."

Thinking it was a genuine mistake, he sent the code.

Seconds later, Ramesh was logged out of his WhatsApp.

The scammer had triggered a device login using Ramesh’s number and now had full access. They messaged Ramesh’s contacts asking for money.

“Please send ₹5,000 urgently. I’ll return it tomorrow.”

 

🧠 Why It Worked

• The message felt personal: “Uncle”

• It seemed urgent

• Ramesh didn’t understand what the code was for

🎬 Scenario 2: The Fake Job Offer Trap

👩 Meet Anjali

Anjali, a college student, received a WhatsApp message:

"We’re hiring part-time workers: ₹10,000/week. No experience needed. Are you interested?"

She replied.

They asked for her details, did a fake WhatsApp “interview,” and sent a formal-looking offer letter.

Then they said:

"To activate your profile, please pay ₹250 registration."

Anjali paid. After that—no response.
She was blocked. Her data, gone.

🧠 Why It Worked

• The offer matched her needs

• It looked professional

• The fee was small and seemed routine

🧪 Common Techniques Used in Social Engineering

Phishing: Fake emails or websites steal information “Reset your password here (fake site)”

Smishing: Scam via SMS “Click here to track your parcel”

Vishing: Scam via voice call “We are calling from your bank”

Pretexting: Creating a fake scenario to gain trust “I am calling from tech support”

Trap: Leaving tempting stuff (like free USBs or job offers) “Download this free tool”

Impersonating: Behaving like a known person or official, fake police, HR, courier, etc.

🛡️ How to Protect Yourself and your Loved Ones

✅ Never share OTPs

No bank, app, or service will ask you for an OTP over call or SMS.

✅ Pause and verify

If someone asks for personal info—call the official number or visit the site directly.

✅ Don't pay for jobs

Genuine jobs do not charge for registration or verification.

✅ Use multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Apps like WhatsApp, Gmail, and Instagram allow you to add a second verification layer.

✅ Educate family members

Elderly people, teens, and homemakers are prime targets. Awareness saves them.

✅ Report incidents

Call your bank, cybercrime helpline (1930), or report at https://cybercrime.gov.in

💭 Final Thoughts

People are the first line of defense—and the most targeted.

Social engineering doesn’t need viruses, tools, or hacking skills. It just needs your trust.

By staying alert, spreading awareness, and questioning suspicious messages, we can stop social engineering attacks before they start.

✅ Take Action

• 💬 Share this blog with friends and family

• 📲 Start a discussion on your WhatsApp groups

• 🧓 Teach your parents and grandparents about OTP scams

• 🧑‍🎓 Talk to students about fake job offers

 

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✍️ Author’s Note:

As we continue to embrace the digital world, we often forget that the greatest threats aren’t always behind a screen—they’re in the voices that sound trustworthy, the messages that seem urgent, and the faces that appear familiar. Social engineering is not a futuristic cybercrime—it’s happening right now, and it targets real people just like you and me.

This blog is written to help raise awareness, not fear. If even one reader pauses before clicking a suspicious link, questions a too-good-to-be-true offer, or reports a scam call to protect others, then this mission is fulfilled.

— Shubhra (Author & Cybersecurity Enthusiast)

🔐 Stay aware. Stay skeptical. Stay safe.

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🗣️ Discussion Prompt 

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