Every day, cybercrime continues to flourish, and con artists invent new tricks to hoodwink the masses. Up until then most people thought that keeping their OTP (One Time Password) secret was enough for them to protect their bank accounts. Criminals have now moved one step ahead. They have hijacked banks’ confirmation calls with customers. This risky technique is known as the Call Forwarding Scam. What’s even more concerning is that it doesn’t require internet connectivity. Even people who are using simple button phones can succumb to this fraud.
How Do Fraudsters Trap People?
They typically start by assuming the guise of someone reliable. They will call themselves a delivery boy, a telecom person or a courier agent. They cause panic by saying, for instance, that your parcel address is wrong or that your SIM card is going to be blocked soon. Once they are gaining your trust or scaring you, they threaten you with some codes on your phone’s keypad and ask you to dial them. They appear harmless but are actually dangerous codes. They might, for example, tell you to call out numbers like 21, 67, or 401 followed by their mobile phone number. Once you do this, they divert your phone calls. If you call someone, including important bank verification calls, or Voice OTPs, you are going right to make a call from your phone to the fraudster himself.
Risky Codes You Should Avoid
Here are some of the common risky codes used by fraudsters:
21 [mobile number] # → All your calls get forwarded to the fraudster.
67 [mobile number] # → Calls are forwarded when your line is busy.
401 [mobile number] → Call forwarding is activated without conditions.
Calling these codes even once may get you a compromised bank account. Scammers can listen to your OTPs and siphon off cash from your bank account.
What If You Are Tied and Get Tricked?
If you have inadvertently called those codes, or if you think your telephone calls are being redirected, you must take action immediately. If you are already behind on money or believe you have been conned, dial 1930 the official helpline for cybercrime complaints immediately. You can save yourself from far greater financial loss with the help of swift action.
Safety tips to Protect Yourself
And finally, no bank or telecom company will ever insist on dialing codes using * or # symbols over the phone. Do not rely on unverified callers to manipulate phones. Keep an eye out for any suspicious numbers in your phone’s “Call Forwarding” option. Know the scam and inform family in elderly and people using simple phones.
Why Is This Scam Dangerous?
It is not just about smartphones. Since it works on USSD codes, even basic button phones are vulnerable. An Internet connection is not needed since call forwarding operates directly on the cellular network. This makes the scam stronger and harder to find out in the wild. Fraudsters have a goal of people who are not tech oriented. They can easily divert calls and pilfer sensitive information using simple tricks and codes.
The Call Forwarding Scam is a new and potentially lethal method that cybercriminals use to swipe people's money from a bank account. By persuading people to call someone else for certain codes, they are essentially sending even more important calls bank OTP calls to themselves. Once out in the wild, those individuals can abuse that information to empty those accounts. Consciousness is the best protection against this ruse. Always verify who you are not and don’t help someone else, never dial codes by strangers, and always look at the call forwarding settings, you must do what you could and act quickly when you suspect fraud. You are solely responsible for your own safety. That said, if you remain vigilant and educated you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe from finding yourself and your family members stuck in that pit of death.
