New Cyber Fraud Alert: Pimpri Chinchwad Police Caution Against Call Forwarding Scam Targeting Mobile Users
Pimpri Chinchwad, 27th October 2025: The Cyber Police Station of Pimpri Chinchwad has issued an urgent advisory to citizens about a new cyber fraud technique called the Call Forwarding Scam, where cybercriminals divert victims’ incoming calls and OTPs to their own devices.
According to a press release by Dr. Shivaji Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Pimpri Chinchwad, the fraudsters pose as representatives of mobile service providers and mislead people by claiming that their mobile KYC is incomplete or that their SIM card will soon be deactivated. Under this pretext, they trick victims into dialing USSD codes—short command sequences containing * and # symbols—which unknowingly activate call forwarding on the victim’s number.
Once the call forwarding is activated, all incoming calls and OTP verification messages are redirected to the fraudster’s phone. This enables them to intercept sensitive information, steal OTPs, and gain access to victims’ bank accounts, UPI apps, and credit/debit cards.
Police explained that once the feature is activated, victims’ phones stop receiving calls, leading them to believe there is a network issue.
Meanwhile, fraudsters exploit the diverted calls to commit financial fraud or identity-based scams, sometimes even contacting the victim’s friends or relatives for further deception.
The Cyber Police have urged citizens to follow these precautions:
Do not dial any USSD code suggested by an unknown person.
To check if call forwarding is active, dial *#21#.
If it shows that call forwarding is enabled, deactivate it immediately by dialing ##002#.
Contact your mobile service provider for assistance.
In case of financial loss, inform your bank immediately to block or freeze your account.
Report cyber frauds on www.cybercrime.gov.in or call the National Cyber Helpline at 1930 or 1945.
The police have appealed to citizens to remain vigilant and spread awareness about this scam to help prevent further incidents.
