According to a statement from DoT, citizens are advised to exercise caution when receiving calls that prompt them to dial *401# by an unknown mobile number. By doing so, unconditional call forwarding is activated, directing all incoming calls from the citizen’s mobile to the unknown number.
This allows fraudsters to intercept and misuse incoming calls, leading to fraudulent activities. The advisory was issued by the DoT on Thursday to raise awareness about this potential cyber threat. The government is ramping up efforts to check the rising incidents of online financial fraud.
Scamsters typically contact subscribers, pretend as customer service representatives or technical support staff from their respective telecom operator. The fraudster falsely claims there is an issue with the subscriber’s SIM card or a problem related to network or service quality. They then persuade the subscriber to dial a specific code to resolve the issue, often starting with *401#, followed by a mobile number.