A rising trend of USSD scams taking place across the country where scammers take control of a user’s call and messaging systems, the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit under the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), observed.
Under this scam, fraudsters posing as delivery agents trick people into dialing a sequence of symbols on their phone to ‘verify online order details’ which actually enables them to direct all your calls and messages to their phones.
Cybersecurity experts interviewed by Indian Express have laid out the ‘strategy’ that’s often co-opted by these scamsters to trick people and recommended measures that users can take to protect themselves. Here’s a play by play description of how these scams take place and what you can do to protect yourself.
How do these scams take place?
Imagine this: you’re expecting a delivery — a charger, a book, or something you ordered online. Your phone rings. The caller introduces himself as a delivery agent and says he is nearby but cannot verify your number in the system. The caller seems professional, the conversation sounds routine, and nothing feels suspicious.
To “resolve” the issue, he asks you to dial a short code on your phone — a mix of numbers, asterisks and hash symbols. It sounds technical, official, and harmless, much like the verification steps people are already used to.
You dial the code. A brief notification flashes on your screen and disappears before you can read it. The caller reassures you that the issue is fixed and disconnects. The delivery never arrives, but you let it go assuming it will take place tomorrow.
Then the real problem begins. Your phone stops receiving calls. Friends complain your number is unreachable. Bank and OTP verification calls never reach you.
Unknown to you, every incoming call has been silently redirected elsewhere. What looked like a routine delivery verification was actually a cybercrime tactic. By dialling a USSD code, you unknowingly activated call forwarding — handing control of your calls to a fraudster in seconds.
What are USSD codes?
USSD codes are combinations of numbers and symbols that allow users to interact with telecom services instantly. While legitimate, they can be misused — especially when users dial them at the instruction of unknown callers.
Cybersecurity experts warn that once call forwarding is enabled, fraudsters can intercept verification calls, reset passwords, and access financial accounts without the victim realising what has happened.
What can users do to protect themselves?
As per experts interviewed by Indian Express, It is crucial for citizens to remain vigilant. Fraudsters rely on urgency and deception, often impersonating as a courier or support staff to trigger call forwarding.
If and when contacted by scammers for such requests, citizens are advised to follow the ‘LBW Rule’
– Law Enforcement: File a complaint at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
– Bank: Contact your bank immediately if you notice any unauthorised transactions via Credit/Debit cards, Net Banking, or UPI.
– Wipe: Completely wipe your devices and change passwords to ensure security.
– Use official apps, websites, or customer care numbers for any change requests instead of codes dictated over calls.
To avoid falling for such scams in the first place, the users are advised to employ the following measures in their day to day routine.
– Verify the caller: Disconnect and call back using official customer care numbers or apps.
– Check call forwarding status periodically.
– Use official channels—handset settings, operator apps, or authenticated portals—for managing call forwarding.
– Enable strong security on banking apps: device lock (PIN/biometric), in-app PINs, and transaction alerts via SMS and email
– Users are further encouraged to not dial, save, or share codes like 21, 61, 67 when asked by unknown callers—even if they mention “delivery,” “KYC,” or “SIM blocking and be vigilant of sudden changes in call behaviour, such as repeated “call forwarded” tones.
Which common USSD codes are used?
Commonly misused codes include:
– *21*# – unconditional call forwarding
– *401*# – call forwarding on some Indian networks
– *61*#, *67*# – conditional forwarding (no answer / busy)
Scammers exploit the fact that standard call-forwarding USSD codes work uniformly across major Indian operators like Jio, Airtel, and Vi. According to cyber security experts, attackers are exploiting user behaviour and telecom feature uniformity across operators, rather than a specific vulnerability or new data leak.
