New Delhi: On Thursday, the Department of Telecom issued a cautionary advisory to users, alerting them to the potential threat posed by malicious calls instructing them to dial '*401#' followed by an unknown mobile number. The advisory stated that if users follow through with dialing '*401#' followed by an unfamiliar number, it triggers the activation of unconditional call forwarding from the user's mobile to the specified unknown number.

The Department underscored that this action facilitates fraudsters in redirecting all incoming calls to their own device, creating an opportunity for fraudulent activities.

In detailing the scam's modus operandi, the DoT outlined that fraudsters typically pose as customer service representatives or technical support staff from the victim's telecom service provider. The caller claims there is an issue with the SIM card or a network/service quality problem, and the subscriber is then instructed to dial a specific code to resolve the supposed issue. This code usually begins with '*401#' followed by a mobile number. Upon execution, unconditional call forwarding is activated on the targeted mobile number.

To further protect users, the DoT has clarified that legitimate telecom service providers never request their subscribers to dial '*401#' and advised citizens to review their mobile phone settings for call forwarding. If enabled through the dialing of '*401#', users were urged to disable it immediately.