New Delhi: In a proactive move, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communications, Thursday said that it is actively working to combat malicious incoming calls and protect the public from cybercrimes and fraud.
Citizens have been cautioned against a new scam wherein they receive calls instructing them to dial *401# followed by an unknown mobile number, potentially leading to fraudulent activities.
The DoT stressed the importance of awareness to prevent falling victim to this scam. The typical scenario involves a fraudulent caller posing as a customer service representative or technical support staff from the telecom service provider.
They claim there is an issue with the subscriber’s SIM card or network, persuading them to dial a specific code, starting with *401# followed by a mobile number.
Upon following these instructions, unconditional call forwarding is activated on the subscriber’s mobile number, redirecting all incoming calls to the fraudster’s mobile. This creates opportunities for potential fraud and misuse of personal information.
The DoT is actively informing users about the modus operandi of such scammers and reiterating preventive measures, including the fact that telecom service providers never ask subscribers to dial *401#.
“Citizens are advised to regularly check their mobile phone settings for call forwarding and disable it if unnecessary. They should enable call forwarding only when required, avoiding unnecessary activation.”
