USSD Scam: The Government of India has cautioned mobile users about a new and dangerous cyber fraud which is being called USSD based call forwarding scam. This warning has been issued by the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Center (I4C) working under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). According to the government, cyber criminals are targeting people’s bank accounts and messaging apps in this manner.
What is USSD and why is it becoming a threat?
USSD i.e. Unstructured Supplementary Service Data is a special type of mobile code which includes symbols like * and #. It is used to access services related to mobile network without internet.
Now, cyber thugs are taking advantage of this technology and silently enabling call forwarding on people’s phones, due to which the important calls coming to them directly reach the criminals.
How does this call forwarding scam work?
According to I4C advisory, the method of this fraud is very clever and misleading to the common people. Criminals call pretending to be agents of delivery or courier companies. They make excuses like confirming a parcel or rescheduling delivery. They then ask the victim to dial a special code which usually starts with 21 and is followed by some other mobile number.
As soon as this code is dialled, the phone’s call forwarding becomes active. After this, calls coming from the bank, OTP, or verification calls from apps like WhatsApp and Telegram go directly to the fraudster’s number. Through this, money is withdrawn from the account or social media accounts are hacked.
How to avoid this cyber fraud?
The government has given some important precautions to stay safe from such scams. Never dial 21, 61, 67 or any such USSD code when asked by any unknown person.
If call forwarding has been activated by mistake, dial ##002# immediately. This stops all call forwarding services. Do not click on any suspicious delivery link received through SMS, WhatsApp or email.
For information related to any parcel or courier, contact the company’s official website or customer care directly.
Where to complain immediately if a scam occurs?
If you see any kind of cyber fraud or suspicious app, do not delay. Immediately call the helpline number 1930 or register a complaint on www.cybercrime.gov.in. The government says that damage can be prevented or reduced by timely reporting.
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