WhatsApp Call Scam Alert! Be Cautious If You Receive Calls From These Numbers, Government Warns

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New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications has recently issued an advisory to citizens regarding calls coming from certain numbers on WhatsApp. 

The instant messaging platform has billions of users worldwide and is the primary messaging app for a lot of people.  

According to the Ministry of Telecommunications, these calls are being received by citizens, in which mobile users calling under the name of DoT threaten that their mobile number will be disconnected. 

Users Are Being Given A Threat: 

These callers threaten mobile users by saying their number is being misused for illegal activities. This modus operandi is similar to cybercrime related to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where criminals claim to be CBI officials and allege that illegal packages have been received under their name.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has also issued advice regarding WhatsApp calls from foreign-origin mobile numbers. These numbers, such as +92-xxxxxxxxxx, +254, +84, +63, call people in government officials' rooms and deceive them.

The Ministry of Communications has warned mobile users that cybercriminals attempt to perpetrate cybercrimes/financial fraud or steal personal information through such calls. It further states that DoT does not authorize anyone to make such calls, and people are advised to stay vigilant. They are also instructed not to share any information upon receiving such calls. 

How to report such fraud, where to report? 

DoT has advised citizens to report fraudulent communications through the 'I-Report Suspected Fraud Communications' feature on the Communications Companion Portal (www.sancharsathi.gov.in). Active reporting of this nature assists the Department of Telecommunications in preventing misuse of telecommunications resources for cybercrimes, financial fraud, etc.

Additionally, citizens can verify their mobile connections under their name and report any mobile connection they haven't taken or don't need through the 'No Your Mobile Connections' feature on the Communications Companion Portal (www.sancharsathi.gov.in).

The Department of Telecommunications has also advised citizens to report instances of cybercrime or financial fraud to the cybercrime helpline number 1930 or visit www.cybercrime.gov.in if they find themselves victims of such crimes.

Conclusion:

The experts, working closely with the Indian government to curb the cybercrime risk, cautioned users of a new Whatsapp cyber fraud and urged people not to respond if they are getting calls from such unknown numbers. 

Note: The story is articulated by Vineet Singh.