Nykaa Scam Calls: Scammers Take Spam Calls to a Whole New Level

Nykaa scam calls involve consumers receiving calls from scammers who claim to be from Nykaa offering them several rewards

Nykaa scam calls, even after two years of the menace being reported by consumers, seem to have only increased. While Nykaa is in no way involved in this scam, how the scammers are getting access to Nykaa consumer data is still unknown. Users have been writing to Dataquest about the repeated calls they have been receiving from scammers claiming to be from Nykaa. 

“I received a call today from a scammer claiming to be from Nykaa mentioning a lucky draw. It was regarding the offers. They said I had to login to a website and make a purchase of Rs 4999 after which 40% would be refunded. It sounded fishy and after I said that it seems unbelievable, she said that the call is being recorded by the Government of India, and that it’s not put on the website since it is offered to only selected customers. I read this story and understood that it’s a scam. Thank you for informing us,” said Anuradha on a story published by Dataquest.

“I got a similar call from  today offering me the same 5 gift options listed by other people above and they knew my order history on Nykaa app. They didn't ask me for any of my personal details but they were very specific that payment has to be made from one of the UPI apps directly and that they would give a promocode which is to be mentioned in the 'payment Note' on the UPI app. I was told that I can either purchase products worth 5k by adding them to my cart and giving them the product details or I can purchase a gift voucher from the Nykaa app worth 5k to purchase items later on with a validity of 1 year. She even mentioned that the Government of India has a recording of this call. Fraudsters have really taken this to a whole new level these days. Be alert people!” Said Charu Jain on a similar note.

How Are Scammers Getting Access to Nykaa Customer Data?

It needs to be made very clear that Nykaa is not making these scam calls. Another consumer, who faced a similar incident in September this year, mentioned to Dataquest that some of the logistics partners could be involved in leaking the data. This could be one of the reasons how scammers were able to get hold of the numbers after deliveries were made. The consumer said that the scammer was perplexed when he questioned him about the details of his order.

What the Nykaa Scam Call Involves?

Nykaa customers usually receive the calls from scammers shortly after they receive an order from Nykaa, which makes the calls sound believable to a large extent. The call usually involves scammers promising consumers that they have won expensive gadgets such as:

• Apple iPhone 14.
• Latest laptops.
• Double door refrigerators.
• AC units.
• Sony Bravia television sets.

However, once they have the attention of the consumers, they quickly divert the conversation towards making a payment on a code, or logging on to a link. A consumer Deepti, who has received a similar call, asks: “The strange thing is, this issue is being reported since 2021 and now its 2022 ending – still the scam is on and no action is been taken by anyone?”

What Nykaa is Doing About These Scam Calls?

Nykaa repeatedly sends text messages to consumers making these orders that the company is in no way involved in this, and that every offer is mentioned on the official website or app. “Hi, Nykaa is not involved in any such offer. We request you to not entertain any such calls or respond to any messages. Nykaa offers are mentioned on the website”, says Nykaa. 

New Tactics Being Used by Scammers Making Nykaa Scam Calls

Although consumers are largely aware of this scam now, and the fact that it is not coming from Nykaa, scammers are using the following new tricks to try and trick gullible consumers:

• Scammers claim that the Government of India is recording the call.
• Consumers have also stated that the fraudsters say that this offer was not listed on the official Nykaa website as only a “few lucky winners” were being selected for the prize.
• Scammers have also been using believable recipient names such as “NYKMARKETING” for requesting a UPI transfer.
• Some of the numbers used by scammers is displayed as “Nykaa Customer Care” on Truecaller.
• A user wrote to Dataquest that WhatsApp display pictures of some of these numbers use Nykaa brand images. 

However, users must block any such number that does not have official WhatsApp verification. Furthermore, Nykaa also does not use any private numbers to coordinate with consumers.