- By Vikas Yadav
- Tue, 20 Feb 2024 05:50 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Mobile Number Deactivation Scam: The Department of Telecommunications warned about a malicious calls scam that erupted in popularity last year in November. It seems the scammers are again resorting to the same method as Jagran English staff received calls from these numbers multiple times recently. The pre-recorded message on these calls sounds similar to the ones you hear when you call a telecom service provider, which can dupe people into believing it is true information.
However, it is advised that you block such numbers as they are an attempt to scrap your personal and financial information to commit fraud. The automated call runs for 44 seconds before getting disconnected if you do not perform any operation. The scammer's message (in English and Hindi) prompts users to 'press 9', similar to an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) of customer helplines.
In this scam, the pre-recorded voice claims that all mobile numbers registered in your name will be disconnected in the next two hours. Users are advised not to fall for such claims and not to press any keys from the keypad and abort the call. Moreover, readers must note that DoT does not call citizens and threatens the deactivation of services. You must not share any personal details with such scammers on calls or otherwise.
Public advisory against malicious calls in the name @DoT_India|
— DoT India (@DoT_India) November 10, 2023
Do not trap in deceptive calls, @DoT_India does not communicate for personal info or disconnection warnings via unsolicited phone calls.
Report any suspicious calls at https://t.co/Zugp0z80Mq pic.twitter.com/ohMoUkloTD
Also Read: Receiving WhatsApp Scam Calls? This Should Be Your Next Step
DoT also advises users to verify the authenticity of such claims from their telecom service provider and reach out to the company via official channels (contact numbers on official websites or offline stores). Any such claims shall be treated as highly suspicious and an attempt to dupe citizens.
If you get duped by any such activity, report the matter to cybercrime.gov.in. As a safety measure, you can block and report such numbers from your contact list. Moreover, similar scam calls and messages promising lucrative part-time jobs also gained momentum in the past. You can read more on this here.
