India’s cybercrime authorities have issued a fresh alert about a rising USSD call forwarding scam that is quietly leading to bank fraud and account takeovers. The warning has come from the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. Officials say scammers are abusing basic telecom features and tricking people into activating call forwarding on their own phones.
The biggest concern is that this scam works without internet access and leaves no obvious warning signs. Many victims realise something is wrong only after money is gone or accounts are locked.
How USSD Call Forwarding Scam Works
The advisory explains that fraudsters usually pose as couriers or delivery agents. They call victims claiming there is a parcel issue or a delivery rescheduling problem.
During the call or through a message, the victim is asked to dial a USSD code, often starting with 21, followed by a phone number controlled by the scammer.
Once the code is dialled, call forwarding is silently activated. This means all incoming calls, including bank verification calls, OTP confirmations, and security checks from apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, get redirected to the fraudster.
With access to these calls, criminals can approve transactions, reset passwords, and completely take over accounts. The victim continues using their phone normally, unaware that critical calls are being diverted.
Why USSD Call Forwarding Scam Is Hard To Detect
Cybercrime officials say this scam is dangerous because USSD codes work instantly and do not need internet access. In many cases, users do not receive any notification that call forwarding has been enabled. Since the process uses legitimate telecom services, antivirus apps and spam filters usually fail to detect it.
The advisory strongly warns people not to dial USSD codes starting with 21, 61, 67, or similar numbers if shared by unknown callers. If someone suspects call forwarding has been activated, they should immediately dial ##002# to cancel all forwarding services.
Citizens are also advised to be careful with delivery-related messages or calls and avoid clicking suspicious links. Delivery details should always be checked only through official customer care channels. Any cyber fraud should be reported immediately by calling 1930 or using the national cybercrime reporting system.
