New Trend of Fraud; Bank Accounts Being Emptied Just by Merging Unknown Calls, NPCI Issues Warning

Every day, new fraud cases are emerging in the country. Recently, a new type of scam has been identified, and government agencies have issued warnings about it. They have advised people to stay alert.

This new fraud method involves scammers tricking users into merging calls, unknowingly revealing their OTP. This can lead to major bank fraud. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has shared this warning on its official social media account. They have urged users not to merge calls with unknown numbers.

How Does This Scam Work?

1. Unexpected Call: You receive a call from an unknown number. The caller claims to have received your number from a mutual friend.
2. Fake Friend’s Call: The scammer tells you that your friend is calling from another number.
3. Call Merging Request: They pressure you to merge the calls.
4. OTP Theft: Once you merge the call, they can listen in and intercept your bank OTP.
5. Money Transfer: As soon as they get the OTP, they transfer money from your bank account to their fake account.

By the time you realize what happened, your bank account could already be empty.

How to Stay Safe from Call Merging Scams

• Never merge calls from unknown numbers. If someone insists, be cautious.
• Verify the caller’s identity. If someone claims to be from your bank or a known person, double-check before taking any action.
• Report suspicious activity immediately. If you receive an OTP for a transaction you didn’t request, call 1930 and report it.
• Stay informed. A survey revealed that over one-third of Indians have fallen victim to real-time payment fraud.
• Fraud is increasing. A report from global firm FICO highlights the growing threat of scams in India.

Stay alert, stay safe!