The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a cautionary alert to millions of mobile phone users across India, urging them to exercise vigilance against a new scam. The advisory warns users to be wary of unsolicited calls instructing them to dial ‘*401#’ followed by an unknown number, as falling prey to this scheme could lead to potential fraud.
The DoT has specifically highlighted users of major mobile service providers, including Airtel, Jio, Vodafone-Idea, and BSNL, to remain cautious in the face of such calls. This advisory follows a series of incidents involving the ‘*401#’ call forwarding scam that first emerged in October. In this fraudulent scheme, impostors posing as delivery agents, bank representatives, or service providers deceive users into dialling the specified number, unwittingly enabling call redirection to unfamiliar numbers chosen by cybercriminals.
The perpetrators often disguise themselves as bank agents or telecom support representatives, fabricating scenarios of network issues or other problems. They manipulate users into dialling ‘*401#’ to purportedly resolve the stated issues.
In a statement, the DoT emphasized the serious consequences of succumbing to this scam, stating, “This activates unconditional call forwarding received on the mobile of a citizen to the unknown mobile number. This allows fraudsters to receive all incoming calls and can be used for fraud.”
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The Department of Telecommunications underscores the crucial need for users to disregard such service calls and refrain from using the provided numbers for call forwarding to safeguard against potential fraudulent activities.
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