Call Forwarding Scam Is A Big Threat: You Can Lose Lakhs Without Raising Alarm – News18

India’s digital revolution has come at a big price, as millions are now becoming easy targets of scams. You already know about the UPI scam, the fake delivery agent scam, and now you have the call forward scam making the headlines. And like all the other scams, this one also could empty your bank accounts and you won’t even come to know of the crime happening behind the scenes.

Call forwarding is mostly a useful feature that allows people to forward their calls to another number if their primary number is busy, not reachable or offers no answer. But you must be wondering how a call forward ends up stealing money from your bank account, and that’s where we come in to give in-depth details on the new scam in town.

Call Forwarding Scam: Don’t Dial These Numbers

The recent incident clearly shows that call forward scam is becoming prevalent and people need to be warned about its modus operandi before they fall for it. The scammer will give you a call disguised as your internet provider or telecom operator (which could be Airtel, Jio or Vi).

They will say that your mobile account has been hacked or there is some problem with your SIM card. These issues can understandably get anyone to panic and the scamsters use this scare to make them share confidential information.

The attackers will then ask you to dial a number that starts with digits 401. Dialing this number means you have activated a call forward for your number which will now allow the scamster to access your phone calls, SMSs which contain personal details like OTPs for bank account or UPI transactions. If they are able to use these details to access your bank account, they can get it verified and withdraw money.

Now, because the number is on call forward, you won’t even get an alert from the bank, because as per its records, the transaction is being authorised by the registered account holder. We are talking about this scam because recently one person fell prey to this attack and lost money from their account. The victim did file a complaint to the police but incidents like these are avoidable if you are careful about sharing details with strangers.

How To Avoid Falling For Call Forward Scam

– The first and most important tip to follow is never pick up calls from random numbers, especially when they claim to be calling from your telco or internet company. These guys have no business informing you about issues like account hacked or problems with the SIM card.

– Even if you do end up answering these phone calls, never, ever share important details like your house address, bank account number and more. Also, avoid sharing OTPs or dial any number these agents ask you to call.

– Never click on any messages sent from suspicious numbers. These links might give them access to your phone via malicious apps.