The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which is part of the Ministry of Communications, has started a proactive campaign to stop harmful phone calls and protect people from cybercrimes and fraud. They’re telling citizens to be careful if they get calls telling them to dial *401# followed by an unknown number.
What happens during call forwarding scam?
If you dial *401# followed by an unknown mobile number, it sets up unconditional call forwarding from your phone to that unknown number. This means that any calls coming to your phone will be forwarded directly to the unknown number. Scammers can then receive all your incoming calls, which could lead to fraudulent activities.
Call forwarding scam: How scamsters operate
The telecom department has explained how scammers work:
- a) First, the scammer calls someone and pretends to be from their phone company’s customer service or tech support.
- b) They say there’s an issue with the person’s SIM card or network, and they need to dial a special code to fix it.
- c) This code usually starts with *401# followed by a mobile number.
- d) When the person dials this code, it activates unconditional call forwarding to the scammer’s number. This means all incoming calls are sent directly to the scammer.
- e) Then, the scammer can use this to commit fraud.
The telecom department is actively telling everyone about this to keep them safe.
How To Stop Call Forwarding?
To stop call forwarding you need to call ##002#, after calling your call forwarding will be stopped immediately.
