T.N. police warn public about new cyber scam involving USSD codes

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The Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police has issued a nationalist advisory regarding a caller and emerging cyber fraud, wherever criminals impersonate courier oregon transportation work agents to fraudulently entree citizens’ slope accounts and societal media profiles.

As portion of this scam, cybercriminals interaction individuals claiming to corroborate oregon reschedule a parcel delivery. During the conversation, victims are instructed to dial a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) codification received via SMS, typically opening with *21* followed by a mobile fig that belongs to the fraudster. Dialing this codification enables telephone forwarding connected the victim’s mobile telephone without their knowledge.

Once telephone forwarding is activated, each incoming calls, including slope verification calls, OTP confirmations, and authentication calls from WhatsApp oregon Telegram, are automatically diverted to the fraudster. This allows criminals to transportation retired unauthorised fiscal transactions and instrumentality implicit messaging accounts.

Additional Director General of Police, Cyber Crime Wing, Sandeep Mittal, has cautioned the nationalist and appealed to them to stay alert and stock this advisory with household members, friends, and colleagues.

Public Advisory

Never dial USSD codes specified arsenic *21*, *61*, *67*, oregon akin codes shared by chartless callers

Do not spot unsolicited calls claiming to beryllium from courier oregon transportation companies

Avoid clicking connected suspicious transportation links received via SMS, WhatsApp, oregon email

Verify transportation details lone done authoritative courier websites oregon lawsuit attraction numbers

If telephone forwarding is activated unknowingly, dial ##002# instantly to cancel each telephone forwarding services

Any idiosyncratic who has fallen unfortunate to this scam oregon suspects fraudulent enactment is advised to study it instantly by calling the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 oregon by filing a ailment astatine www.cybercrime.gov.in.

Published - December 20, 2025 03:20 p.m. IST

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