The Cyber Cell of Kolkata Police has issued a critical warning to citizens about a sophisticated new phone scam that allows cybercriminals to hijack victims' banking and messaging accounts. This alarming scheme involves tricking people into activating call forwarding through specific USSD codes.
How The USSD Code Scam Operates
According to a senior police official, the fraud begins with a call or an SMS from an unknown, often international, number. The caller, posing as a representative from a bank or telecom company, instructs the victim to dial a particular USSD code. These codes frequently begin with the digits '21' and are followed by a mobile number controlled by the scammer.
Once this code is dialed, it secretly activates call forwarding to the fraudster's number. This means all calls and messages, including crucial One-Time Passwords (OTPs) from banks, are diverted to the criminal's phone. With access to OTPs and messages, they can easily bypass security measures and gain complete control over financial accounts.
Police Advisory and Dangerous Codes
The Deputy Commissioner of Police explicitly advised extreme caution if prompted to dial any codes, especially those starting with '67' and '61', in addition to the prevalent '21' codes. The police revealed that several such scam attempts were reported in December alone, indicating an active threat.
This alert was not issued in isolation. The Kolkata Police's warning was developed jointly with the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit. Furthermore, a similar advisory has been circulated nationwide by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The agencies highlight the misuse of basic telecom features that can compromise security without even needing an internet connection.
How To Protect Yourself and Reverse The Fraud
The primary advice from authorities is clear: never dial a USSD code upon instruction from an unknown caller, particularly for codes starting with 21, 67, or 61. Legitimate organizations will never ask you to do this over an unsolicited call.
If you suspect that call forwarding has been enabled on your number without your knowledge, you can immediately deactivate it. Simply dial ##002# from your mobile phone. This universal code will cancel any conditional call forwarding settings and help secure your communication channels.
This scam serves as a stark reminder to verify the identity of anyone requesting remote access to your phone settings and to stay updated on the latest cybercrime tactics used by fraudsters.
