Anand: New Cybercrime Method Targets Bank Accounts via Parcel Scam

Anand: Cybercriminals have devised a new scam involving parcel deliveries to steal money from victims' bank accounts. Recently, a case emerged where fraudsters contact individuals claiming a parcel has arrived nearby but the delivery boy cannot find the correct address. They provide a coded phone number to contact the delivery person, which when dialed, is unreachable or switched off.

The fraudsters then convince victims to dial a special code on their phones, which activates call forwarding of all incoming calls to the criminal's number. This enables them to intercept OTPs sent for bank or social media logins, potentially allowing them to steal money or hack personal accounts without the victim's knowledge. Victims may lose money or access to personal accounts.

Precautionary measures include not dialing unknown codes from strangers, ignoring unsolicited parcel calls if no order was placed, disabling call forwarding if accidentally activated, and reporting cybercrime incidents immediately to authorities by dialing 1930 or visiting the cybercrime website. Awareness and vigilance are essential to avoid falling prey to such scams.