Fraud alert: Why govt does not want you to dial *401#

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has warned citizens about a call forwarding scam. While users have been told multiple times to be cautious while answering calls or texts from unknown numbers, fraudsters keep coming up with new and sophisticated methods to swindle people.

Now, DoT, under Ministry of Communications & Information Technoloy, has tried to beware people of malicious incoming calls that could result in cyber fraud.

What is the call forwarding scam that DoT has warned about? How can you protect yourself? Let’s take a closer look.

What is 401 call forwarding scam?

Call forwarding allows people to direct their calls to another number if their primary number is unavailable due to any reason. So, how does this feature lead to frauds?

Last week, the DoT asked people to beware of callers who tell them to dial *401# followed by some unknown mobile number. If the telecom subscriber dials this code, the scammer gets access to their target’s phone calls.

If the telecom subscriber dials *401# followed by some unknown mobile number, the fraudster gets access to their incoming calls. Pixabay (Representational Image)

“This activates unconditional call forwarding received on mobile of citizen to the unknown mobile number. This allows fraudster to receive all incoming calls and can be used for fraud,” the department reportedly said in a statement.

How the scam works

According to the DoT advisory, the fraudster hoodwinks their victim by pretending to be a customer service representative or technical support staff from the telecom service provider of the user and claiming there is some issue.

The scammer will then use some excuse to convince their target to dial a specific code, usually *401#, to fix the problem. “The fraudster states that either there is a problem with their SIM card or there is some issue related to network or service quality and they need to dial a specific code to fix the problem. This code usually starts with *401# followed by a mobile number,” the DoT said, as per BusinessLine.

This initiates the activation of unconditional call forwarding on the scammer’s mobile number. Users remain unaware of the scam as their phones do not ring and their incoming calls get forwarded to the fraudster’s mobile number.

The government’s warning comes in the wake of telecom operators including Reliance Jio and Airtel and caller identifying app Truecaller flagging the scam last October, urging users to be vigilant.

Motive of the scam

Once scammers get their victim’s incoming calls forwarded to their devices, they try to intercept the target’s bank accounts or messaging apps like WhatsApp. They also get access to voice OTPs (one-time passwords) of the victim.

Scammers can use your personal information to carry out financial fraud or identity theft. Pixabay (Representational Image)

With such sensitive information at their disposal, the fraudster can use it to carry out financial fraud or identity theft.

ALSO READ: UPI fraud cases on the rise: How to protect yourself from such scams?

How to stay safe?

The DoT told citizens to go through their phone settings to disable call forwarding. “The DoT has been actively informing all users and reiterates regularly how to protect yourself – the telecom service providers never ask their subscribers to dial *401#. Check your mobile phone settings for call forwarding and disable immediately in case it is enabled. Use the facility only when it is required,” the department said.

People can also take other preventive measures to avoid falling for such scams. Users can stay safe by ensuring they do not dial codes or respond to text messages sent by suspicious unknown numbers. They can also enhance their phone security by using passcodes or biometric authentication methods, according to a Times of India (TOI) report.

In case you answer these calls, never share important details like OTPs, bank account number or home address with random callers. Beware of clicking on messages sent from suspicious numbers as it might give scammers access to your phone.

If you are doubtful about the identity of your caller who claims to be calling on behalf of your telecom operator or internet service provider (ISP), cut the call quickly. You can then contact your service provider through the official phone number on their website to verify the caller’s authenticity, TOI reported.

With inputs from agencies

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