HOW TO AVOID DIGITAL PAYMENT FRAUDS

Two developments have created an enabling environment for fraud— the explosion of smartphones with internet and multiple modes of payment through apps. While there is enough protection built into UPI and card payments, fraudsters use various tricks to get users to part with critical information.

Methods used by tricksters range from payment requests made on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to sharing of QR codes on Whats App. Here are some common ones doing the rounds.

Request money fraud

Fraudsters misuse the request feature on UPI by sending fake payment requests with messages like ‘Enter your UPI PIN to receive money, “Payment successful receive Rs. xxx” etc. You need to enter PIN only for sending money.
Do not: 'Pay' or enter your UPI pin to receive money.

QR code fraud

Fraudsters share a QR code over Whats App asking for the code to be scanned to receive money in their account. This QR code, a feature in some UPI apps, is in fact a collect request and scanning and entering your PIN is acceding to their request. Again you need to scan QR only to make payments.
Do not: Share card number, expiry date, PIN, OTP etc. with anyone.

Remote access app

Fraudsters ask users to install screen-sharing apps such as Screen share, Any desk, Team viewer and use them to get access to bank credentials. These apps are not malware, but they do grant access of your mobile data to the third party.
Do not: Download third-party apps such as Screen share, Any desk, Team viewer to enable/receive payments.

Social media/impersonation fraud

Fraudsters track complaints in social media and share fake contacts or impersonate bankers or RBI officials in response to a post and ask for confidential information which no banker is supposed to ask for.
Do not: Search for helpline numbers on Google, Facebook, Twitter. Instead, check the official website.

SIM swap fraud

Fraudsters manage to get a duplicate SIM which provides them access to one-time passwords. They do this by pretending to be from a mobile company and asking you to forward an SMS containing the SIM card number to activate the duplicate SIM.
Do not: Respond to texts, emails from unknown addresses to click on links.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FASTage

What are FASTags?

FASTags are prepaid rechargeable tags for toll collection that allow automatic payment deduction from the FASTag, they are normally affixed on the windscreen of your vehicle.

With the help of a FASTag, you will not have to stop your vehicle at toll plazas to pay the toll. As soon as the vehicle crosses the toll plaza, the toll fee will get deducted from the bank account/prepaid wallet linked to the FASTag affixed on the vehicle's windscreen.

An activated FASTtag works on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Moreover, these FASTags do not have any expiry date, that is, they can be used as long as they are readable at the toll plaza and are not tampered.

No FASTag? Pay double the toll from December 1

Come December, owners of private and commercial vehicles without FASTags will have to cough up twice the normal rate at toll gates as the government gears up to achieve seamless road travel nationwide by making collections electronic.

Therefore, it's important that you get one fast for your vehicle if you don't have it already.

You cannot use one FASTag with two or more vehicles, you will have to buy two separate FASTags for the two vehicles and so on.

As per the IHMCL website, "If you reside within a range of 10 km from the toll plaza, you can avail a concession on toll to be paid via your FASTag. In such a case, you need to submit the required documents - proof of residence at the bank, nearest POS location to validate that your residential address is within 10 km of a particular toll plaza. Once the address is verified, you can avail a concession on the toll paid via FASTag assigned to your vehicle."

​How to buy and activate your FASTag

FASTags are issued by 22 certified banks through various channels such as Point-of-Sale (POS) at National Highway toll plazas and select bank branches. They are also available on e-commerce platform such as Amazon. After buying the FASTag, you need to activate it to make it functional at the toll plaza.

​Here is how you can do it

a) Self-Activation: FASTags are 'bank-neutral', that is, no bank is pre-assigned to the FASTag at the time you purchase it from a POS terminal or online platform. The online FASTag is based on the concept of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) where you can self-activate it by entering vehicle details in the 'My FASTag' mobile app. Android smartphone users can download the My FASTag app from 'Google Play Store' and iPhone users can download the app from 'Apple Store'. Thereafter, you have the flexibility to link the FASTag with any one of your existing bank accounts by using the My FASTag Mobile app.

The NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) Prepaid wallet facility is also available in My FASTag mobile app, where you can load money and get your toll fee deducted from the prepaid wallet instead of getting it directly deducted from a bank account.

b) Activate by visiting certified bank branch: You can also buy FASTag by visiting the nearest certified bank branch and get the FASTag linked with your existing bank account.

At the time of activation, you need to submit the KYC (Know Your Customer) documentation as per the KYC policy of the bank. Apart from the KYC documentation, you need to submit Registration Certificate (RC) of the vehicle along with the application for FASTag to the bank.

​How to recharge your FASTag

If the FASTag is already linked with your bank account, then there is no need to load money separately in a prepaid wallet. You only need to ensure that your FASTag-linked bank account has sufficient balance to allow for toll payments.

However, if you have linked the FASTag to a prepaid wallet (NHAI prepaid wallet), then it can be recharged through various channels such as payment through cheque or through UPI/debit card/ credit card/ NEFT/ Net Banking. Also, additional charges will be levied while recharging the FASTag account through different channels.

​Cap on maximum balance

There is a cap on the maximum balance which can be kept in the prepaid wallet. As per regulations, these limits are:

For limited KYC FASTag account holder: This type of FASTag cannot have more than Rs 20,000 in their FASTag prepaid wallet. The monthly reload limit is also capped at Rs 20,000.

For full KYC FASTag account holder: This type of FASTag account cannot have more than Rs 1 lakh in their FASTag prepaid wallet. There is no monthly reload cap in this account, according to the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) website

​What will happen when I cross toll plaza with FASTag?

Once your FASTag account is active and you cross a FASTag-enabled lane on a toll plaza, a balance is automatically deducted from your bank account and you will receive an SMS alert on your registered mobile number

Points to note

You cannot use one FASTag with two or more vehicles, you will have to buy two separate FASTags for the two vehicles and so on.

As per the IHMCL website, "If you reside within a range of 10 km from the toll plaza, you can avail a concession on toll to be paid via your FASTag. In such a case, you need to submit the required documents - proof of residence at the bank, nearest POS location to validate that your residential address is within 10 km of a particular toll plaza. Once the address is verified, you can avail a concession on the toll paid via FASTag assigned to your vehicle."

Smarter Way to Do Google.

Google is the no.1 search engine and Google received 63,000 search every second but still many people won't know some tricks to operate Google perfectly. So, In this blog we will discuss some smart search ways to get your result more accurately.

FILE TYPE: PDF/PPT/PDF

The problem with Google searches is that when we try to search something specific Google gives Vomate all the information about the topic and we found lots in the world's biggest pool of information so,  A smarter way to do that is using by typing "file type: file extensions " like you want to to  search a pdf file for a book by using this technique you will get only pdf file on the search list.

USING A PLUS SIGN

Another problem is that while using Google the search algorithm won't understand our need for the search so to get rid of that you can use a "+" sign to make Google Understand that this particular word must be included in the search. It will simplify the your search and save a hell lot of time.

USING A MINUS SIGN

As you can force fully include any word by using "+" sign in the search word you can forcefully remove any word or phrase by using "-" sign. This sign gives a clear indication to Google that pls don't include this word or type in the search type.

SITE: WEBSITE

Getting information from a particular site is the most irritating work in Google and becoming more difficult if the site won't rank on the top pages so, to simplify this you can use a "site: Fulfillmentadda" and bang Google will so you every thing about the site and makes it easier to search

"EXACT PHRASE"

Most interesting thing is that you can search all the information about a phrase or statement  with a semi colon and you will get the exact phrase and all the information about the phrase like how wrote that and when it was frist published everything.

FINDING THE MISSING WORD

If you can't remember the full sentence while searching then Google has s solution for that too and that is by using "*" yes astric sign in between the words and Google will give you  full sentence and all the information about that.

The Skill Of reading corporate earnings & balance sheet for better investment desicion.

There are numerous factors that influence price movement of stocks, such as global cues, market sentiments, political developments and so on. But the most critical factor that really influences market sentiment is quarterly earnings.

Earnings reports are released four times a year and are followed very closely by market participants. Growing earnings are a good indication that a company is on the right path to providing solid returns to investors and vice versa. Also, companies tend to pass on part of their profit to shareholders in the form of a dividend during earnings announcements.

The numbers in a company's financial statement reflect the health of the business and its products, services and macro-fundamental events.

Thus, a balance sheet is a snapshot at a single point in time of the company, such as assets, liabilities and shareholders' equity. The earnings season is typically a time of increased volatility in stock prices, which can mean additional risk and also opportunity for investors.

Earnings drive stock prices. The release of the earnings guidance is closely watched by investors, as companies use it as a key mechanism to communicate forward-looking information to investors. Actually, when company’s quarterly financial statements are released, they offer an insight into how the company performs and what its prospects may look like over the near term.

So, investors should maintain a close watch on a company’s quarterly report to help estimate future earnings. Quarterly earnings report can serve as a bellwether for similar companies that still have not reported their numbers. Most importantly, management decisions regarding investments, R&D, brand development and such expenditure, which can generate revenue in future also tells about clear prospect of the company to investors.

Other than net profit, there are a few more terms such as gross sales, net sales, debt structure, expenditure, operating income and earnings per share (EPS) that can help investors get a better understanding of where the company stands and to play the earnings theme. In addition, investors can have a close look at the company’s short-term and long-term goals.
A long-term investor need not have to bother much about the short-term volatility and should abstain from getting lured into making a quick profit on earnings. They should check other factors such as policies of the company and other fundamentals before investing.

Robot that can perform the manhole cleaning work automatically.

Bandicoot: Robot replacing manual scavenging

One of the biggest problems in India is the profession of manual scavenging. Although laws have been made to stop the practice, human scavengers are forced to enter and clean the manholes with their hands even today — a major reason being a lack of proper technological solutions to take their place.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has procured a manhole-cleaning robot called 'Bandicoot', which would help end the practice of manual scavenging.

Working technology

To get the job done, the robot goes inside the manhole and mimics all the actions of a human scavenger.

Bandicoot has two structures. One is the robotic unit with an arm and four legs that enters the manhole and handles the cleaning operation. The other is a control panel unit that stays outside the manhole with the person controlling or monitoring Bandicoot.

The robotic unit has a fixed, waterproof, night-vision camera that transmits 4K resolution videos and images in real time, even in the presence of water.

Various sensors help Bandicoot measure different environmental parameters like manhole dimensions, material and chemicals inside the manhole, humidity, temperature and so on. The robotic arm has five degrees of freedom with 360-degree movement capacity. A bucket unit of 18 liters capacity is attached to collect waste

.

Two modes Of Operations

The cleaning process can be done in two modes: automatic or semi-automatic. Automatic cleaning can be applied to standard manholes. It is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) programs based on data collected by sensors. The robotic unit moves inside the manhole by itself and cleans on its own.

For non-standard manholes, the semi-automatic control is brought into play. The human being controlling the robot can use the control panel that has a display screen to position Bandicoot inside the manhole. Cleaning is done automatically.

Key features

The key features of the machine include, complete robotic solution for eliminating manual scavenging and cleaning sewage in a world class manner using four advanced sewer cameras which work in day and light

Cost

The Raheja Corp. as part of its CSR initiative funded the project of procurement of 'Bandicoot' robotic machine at an estimated cost of Rs 32 lakhs to avoid manual scavenging.

Trial run of Bandicoot

GHMC Mayor B Rammohan inaugurated the "bandicoot" robotic manhole desilting machine at the Biodiversity junction at Gachibowli in Hyderabad.

The Supreme Court has issued guidelines to all Urban Local Bodies in the country to have "technology adopted methods" for cleaning manholes and septic tanks

The Virus That Broke the encryption of WhatsAap

The Facebook owned messaging aap had reported about the computer virus that effected  121 Indian users personal data in last month and this is more powerful then the spyware virus. This is Known as PEGASUS.
the company denied to answer any of the question asked by the Indian government till now but here we bring the information about the virus you need to know as user whose privacy is at stake.

The spyware that started it all

Pegasus, the spyware sold by Israel’s NSO Group and Q Cyber Technologies that is believed to have broken through encrypted communication systems such as WhatsApp, can concurrently monitor about 50 smartphones.A person who runs a private cyber security firm and has seen Pegasus’ snooping capabilities up close said that the spyware can monitor up to 500 phones in a year, but can only track a maximum of 50 at one go. He said it costs about $7-8 million per year to license Pegasus.Facebook-owned WhatsApp’s court filings in the US show a contract with a Ghanaian company for monitoring 25 phones.

The Lawsuit

WhatsApp filed a lawsuit in a California court on October 29, alleging that NSO Group gained unauthorised access to its servers and communication service.Court filings allege that the Israeli company reverse-engineered the messaging app and developed a program that copied WhatsApp’s network traffic to target devices over the app’s servers. Targeted individuals included lawyers, journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, diplomats and senior foreign government officials.

Following the paper trail

In February 2019, the NSO Group was acquired by its management from private equity firm Francisco Partners, co founded by Dipanjan Deb. The acquisition was led by NSO Group’s co founders Shalev Hulio and Omri Lavie.The acquisition was funded by European PE fund Novalpina Capital, according to a February 14 press release from Francisco Partners that is part of the court filings in the US. Interestingly, the press release is no longer available on the Francisco Partners website.

Was the state using the spyware?

Representatives of Toronto-based cyber security group The Citizen Lab, which investigated the breach on behalf of WhatsApp, reportedly told the individuals targeted in India that it is possible some state agency had used the spyware.India’s former national cyber security coordinator Gulshan Rai said, “Every government looks at cyber defense seriously, including ours. We are also starting our own capabilities. A lot of the focus now has moved towards domestic sourcing. They are actively funding startups in the space… We have CERT-In (the nodal government agency that deals with cyber security threats). The MHA (ministry of home affairs) is looking at forensic labs. The government is taking a lot of steps.”

Potent Program

The program, or ‘agent’ as it is called, can not only survive a system reboot but also a factory reset and operating system upgrades. It is capable of extracting all data and access all communications through messaging services such as BlackBerry Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, Skype, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Line, We-Chat and Tango. It can also monitor keystrokes and retrieve files, and turn on the cameras and microphone of a mobile device.The language of the contract with Infralok seems to suggest that NSO Group was aware the Ghanaian company was not the real client, and hence the contractual assurances, obligations and responsibilities were aimed at the end user.