Mumbai: Scientist. Doctor. Engineer. CA. Sharma ji’s government job waale bacche. All considered among the smartest and brightest role models to never make a mistake.
Today, scams are run by some of the smartest, most creative and relentless professional fraudsters. They hide in plain sight or come packaged in layered information to confuse you on a busy day. No matter who you are or how many degrees you hold, you are one wrong call away from an empty bank account.
Ever since smartphones entered households in India, Truecaller has offered protection from both spam and scams with identifications and call screenings.
With the introduction of Truecaller Fraud Insurance, they are doubling down on their safety promise. Truecaller’s Premium yearly plans now include Fraud Insurance cover of up to ₹10,000 if you succumb to a phone call or SMS scam.
Truecaller VP, global brand - Ashwani Sinha said, “Introducing Fraud Insurance is a big part of our mission to keep our users protected against phone scams. Especially because scammers keep devising more creative ways to catch people off guard. Unfortunately, our nonchalance and misplaced overconfidence - ‘I will never fall for their lame tricks’ - makes their job easier. Our campaign aims to shake this overconfidence off and remind people that they're a lot more likely to be scammed than they would imagine.”
Conceptualised by Talented, a clean business card visual conveys that like your degrees, the fact that you got scammed is also how people start to identify you. The billboards, hosted in Delhi and Mumbai serve as a precautionary reminder that if the conventionally “smart” can be scammed, you are not any safer. Truecaller can help insure your loss and henceforth, ensure your vigilance.
Founding partner Prashant Gopalakrishnan and Talented’s creative Yuvraj Bagchi, added, “Why does insurance against fraud make sense? As of Q1 2024, Indians have already lost a whopping ₹1,750 crores to reported cyber frauds. Two common things among victims we spoke to were: 1. They were educated, technologically sound, and problem-aware. 2. They said, “I can’t believe I fell for this. Me! I’m a [insert conventionally cerebral profession]!” We realised that scammers would go to any degree, literally, so we did too. In fact, our initial pitch landed on “You’re dumber than you think” but our irreverence was appropriately curbed. Also, having a ‘smart’ audience reassured us that our idea, even if it takes a second, will land and leave them with a reality check.”
Today, not just in metros but in small towns too, not only the retired, tech-starved, and gullible adults but also the highly qualified, are victims to phone fraud. Truecaller & Talented’s campaign introducing Fraud Insurance reminds us that perhaps the smart thing to do is not be over-smart.
