In a recent incident, veteran Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin narrowly avoided falling victim to a scam, using a strategy he likened to one employed by former India captain MS Dhoni. The attempted scam involved an individual impersonating Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
The incident came to light when Ashwin shared the details of a WhatsApp conversation on his social media. The conversation began with the impersonator, posing as Zampa, requesting the contact numbers of several Indian cricketers, including Jasprit Bumrah. This immediately raised suspicion for Ashwin, who sensed something amiss.
Drawing on his experience and perhaps a bit of inspiration from MS Dhoni's cool-headed approach under pressure, Ashwin decided to play along while subtly investigating the legitimacy of the request. Instead of directly refusing or alerting the scammer, he provided a dummy number for Virat Kohli, a tactic similar to those used in cybersecurity to trap malicious actors.
To further test the scammer's identity, Ashwin brought up a hypothetical situation, referencing a bat he supposedly gifted to Zampa. The scammer's fabricated response about the bat confirmed Ashwin's suspicion that he was indeed communicating with an imposter. Ashwin promptly blocked the number, preventing any further attempts to extract information or potentially scam other players.
Following the incident, Ashwin reportedly checked with official Chennai Super Kings (CSK) communication channels to verify Adam Zampa's actual contact number, confirming that it did not match the number used by the scammer. This highlights the importance of verifying contacts and requests, especially when they involve sensitive information like personal contact details.
This incident serves as a reminder of the increasing sophistication of online scams and the importance of remaining vigilant, even for high-profile individuals. Cricketers, like other public figures, are often targeted by scammers seeking to exploit their popularity and access to information.
The attempted scam on Ashwin also echoes similar incidents involving cricketers and phone number mix-ups. In one instance, a man in Chhattisgarh received calls from Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers after obtaining a SIM card that previously belonged to Rajat Patidar. Similarly, Ashwin himself had previously encountered a scammer impersonating Devon Conway, attempting to obtain Virat Kohli's number.
The quick thinking and proactive approach displayed by Ashwin in this recent incident averted a potentially damaging situation. His application of the "MS Dhoni trick" – remaining calm under pressure and using subtle tactics to uncover the truth – demonstrates the importance of awareness and caution in the digital age.
