Rajasthan police issues advisory on new USSD call forwarding scam

Jaipur: Rajasthan Police has issued a fresh cybercrime advisory warning the public about a dangerous new fraud method known as the USSD-based call forwarding scam. The alert has been released by the Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit under the guidance of senior cybercrime officials, highlighting how criminals are using mobile call forwarding to steal bank credentials and hijack digital accounts.

According to cybercrime officials, fraudsters are contacting people while pretending to be courier or delivery service agents. They typically claim that a parcel delivery needs confirmation or rescheduling and create urgency to gain the victim’s trust. Once the victim is engaged, the caller sends an SMS containing a special code, usually starting with numbers such as 21, 61, or 67, followed by a mobile number linked to the scammer. The victim is then persuaded to dial the code on their phone.

Police have explained that these are USSD commands which, once dialled, automatically activate call forwarding on the victim’s mobile number. As soon as call forwarding is enabled, all incoming calls meant for the victim, including bank verification calls, payment-related OTP confirmation calls, and authentication calls from platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram, are redirected to the fraudster’s phone.

This allows criminals to carry out unauthorised financial transactions and gain control of the victim’s social media and messaging accounts without their immediate knowledge. Cybercrime officials have warned that this technique is particularly dangerous because victims may not realise that their calls have been diverted until significant damage has already been done.

Rajasthan Police has urged citizens to remain cautious and never dial any code shared by unknown callers. Officials have advised people to independently verify any courier-related communication through official company websites or customer care numbers and to avoid clicking on suspicious links received via SMS or WhatsApp.

If there is any suspicion that call forwarding has been activated, police have advised citizens to immediately dial ##002#, which cancels all call forwarding services on the mobile phone.

In case of any cyber fraud, victims have been asked to act without delay by calling the National Cyber Helpline 1930 or registering a complaint on the cybercrime portal at cybercrime.gov.in. Complaints can also be submitted through Rajasthan Police’s WhatsApp helpline numbers 9256001930 and 9257510100. Authorities have also reminded citizens not to ignore awareness messages issued by banks and financial institutions, as timely action can significantly reduce financial losses.