Centre warns public against USSD call forwarding scam, issues code advisory

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cautioned citizens against a rising cyber fraud in which criminals misused USSD codes to activate call forwarding on mobile phones, resulting in unauthorized access to bank accounts and financial losses.

The advisory said cybercrime monitoring agencies had found that fraudsters impersonated courier or service agents and convinced users to dial USSD codes such as 21, 61 and 67, or similar variants. Once dialled, these codes enabled call forwarding, diverting bank calls, one-time passwords and app verification alerts to the fraudsters.

Officials said the diverted calls allowed criminals to take control of victims’ accounts and carry out fraudulent transactions. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre flagged the trend after observing a steady rise in such incidents across the country.

The ministry advised mobile users to immediately deactivate call forwarding by dialling ##002# if they suspected misuse. Citizens were also urged to avoid clicking on suspicious delivery-related links received through SMS, WhatsApp or email, and to verify any such communication only through official customer care channels.

People were asked to promptly report cyber fraud or suspicious activity by calling the national cybercrime helpline number 1930 or by submitting a complaint on the official cybercrime reporting portal. The ministry stressed that public awareness and caution remained key to preventing such digital frauds.

Also read: Assam police called for increased awareness against scams