Who doesn't love a good deal? Tempting offers, discounts, and free upgrades always catch our attention. However, before you click 'yes' or give your approval, we advise exercising caution. Scammers have devised another tactic to target their next victims by silently enabling call forwarding on the victims' devices. Once they have convinced you of the legitimacy of the deal, a simple code is all it takes for them to access your bank accounts and personal information. What else? They could impersonate you to deceive your contacts and other unsuspecting individuals.
We decode the call forwarding scam and help you stay ahead of the fraudsters’ game.
Modus Operandi
The Offer: Scammers pretending to be representatives from your telecom provider contact you with a “special” upgrade or a promotional offer that requires no payment.
The Code: They inform you that to avail of the offer, you need to dial a code on your phone, followed by your mobile number. In reported cases, the code provided by the scammer begins with 21 or 401 and includes ‘*’ and/or ‘#’.
Call Forwarding: Entering the code silently activates call forwarding on your phone. Every incoming call is redirected to the scammers’ number with no obvious alert, and thus, you are likely not to notice any changes.
Interception of OTPs: Scammers can steal sensitive information by intercepting all incoming calls, including OTPs for banking transactions and email password resets, thus compromising security. They can also reset your passwords and impersonate you during verification calls to access services.
Red Flags
Network offers and upgrades that require you to dial codes on your phone.
You might not receive calls, as scammers may have rerouted them.
You receive multiple bank transaction messages that you did not initiate.
What To Do
Decline: Do not dial the codes shared by unknown callers. Refuse and hang up such calls immediately.
Verify: Contact your network provider through its official customer support service number, website, or app, to check the veracity of such deals.
Secure: Use two-factor authentication instead of relying solely on OTPs that can be intercepted by scammers.
Notify: If you have been scammed, please inform your bank immediately to help reverse the transactions and freeze your account until further notice.
Settings: Check your call forwarding settings and, if enabled, deactivate it using your network’s code. You can also contact your network provider for assistance with the same.
Report: Highlight the incident promptly through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or call their helpline at 1930. You can also file a complaint at your local police station. Ensure that you gather relevant evidence to support the investigation.
Update: Always keep your device and apps up to date to patch any vulnerabilities.
Share: Inform your circles and communities about the scam and ask them to be cautious of any such offers.
The Quint's Scamguard initiative aims to keep up with emerging digital scams to help you stay informed and vigilant. If you've been scammed or successfully thwarted one, then tell us your story. Contact us via WhatsApp at +919540511818 or email us at myreport@thequint.com. You can also fill out the Google form and help us take your story forward.
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