Cyber Fraudsters Draining Accounts via Voice Cloning and Call Forwarding; Police Issue Warning
Cyber criminals in Himachal Pradesh are using new tricks to defraud people of lakhs of rupees. In Shimla, an elderly person lost ₹10 lakh from their bank account after receiving a call from an unknown number. The victim said no OTP was received and no links were clicked.
Police explained that fraudsters use call merging and call forwarding to exploit the bank’s automatic verification system and withdraw money from accounts. Cyber experts noted that scammers manipulate victims into pressing codes or clicking links, enabling them to drain bank accounts.
The Shimla police, along with the Cyber Wing, are investigating the case and tracing bank accounts used for transferring the money.
Police and cyber experts have issued these precautions for the public:
- Do not activate call forwarding (21 or *401#) if asked by unknown callers.
- If a code is dialed by mistake, use ##002# to disable all forwarding.
- Dial *#21# to check your phone’s security and ensure calls/messages are not being forwarded.
- Never share OTP with anyone, even if they claim to be a bank official or delivery agent.
- In case of fraud, immediately call the Cyber Helpline at 1930 or register a complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in
DIG Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said such cases are being investigated thoroughly and urged the public to stay alert.
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