Fake property listings: Cops urge citizens not to fall for deals that seem too good to be true
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra cyber police have urged citizens to stay cautious about fake property listings on popular online platforms and not get carried away by “beautiful images” or “extremely low rent”.
According to an advisory by the cyber police, scammers impersonate landlords or agents and demand advance payments via UPI or bank transfers.
Cybercriminals use platforms like OLX, Facebook Marketplace, and WhatsApp to dupe people, it said on Tuesday.
After initial talks with a prospective buyer or tenant, fraudsters bring up pretexts like “no physical visit allowed because the owner is abroad” or demand an advance to “block” the deal, it said.
While “extremely low rent” or “beautiful property images” are being used to lure victims, cybercriminals communicate only via WhatsApp or Telegram, use fake IDs and send rental agreements only digitally, an official said.
The cyber police have appealed to the public not to pay any advance without physically verifying a property. It urged citizens to make video calls to the agent or owner or meet them personally, besides using verified rental platforms with escrow or secure payment options.
Do not fall for deals that seem too good to be true, it said.
Officials have asked people to contact the cybercrime helpline 1930 if they find anything suspicious about the callers or persons approaching them about rental issues.
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Trump repeats claim he stopped potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan
New York/Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict and asserted that Islamabad's leadership credited him for saving millions of lives.
"We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India. And the head of Pakistan, a highly respected General, he's a Field Marshal and also the Prime Minister of Pakistan, said President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more...,” Trump said Monday.
He made these remarks at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, flanked by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“You know, eight planes were shot down. That war was starting to rage, and he actually said the other day that President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more. So we solved all these wars. The only one I haven't solved yet is Russia, Ukraine,” he said.
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Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between the two neighbours.
New Delhi has consistently denied any third-party intervention.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
