Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have cautioned people against answering calls from suspicious international numbers and area codes. A statement issued on Tuesday highlighted several phone numbers and country codes linked to potential cyber fraud.
Phone numbers that have been flagged:
+94777 455913
+37127913091
+56322553736
+37052529259
+255901130460
This apart, calls from area codes such as +371 (Latvia), +375 (Belarus), +381 (Serbia), +563 (Iowa), +370 (Lithuania), and +255 (Tanzania) should also be avoided.
How the scam works:
Calls from these numbers may be for a very short duration and get disconnected after ringing a few times, tempting one to call back. Cybercrime officials have warned that answering calls from these numbers can lead to severe consequences.
Responding to these calls may lead to:
- Data theft: Your contact list, banking details and other sensitive information could be accessed within seconds.
- Financial loss: Fraudsters may exploit your SIM card to make calls, which could leave you liable for hefty bills.
- Criminal implications: Pressing certain keys, such as "Chi 90" or "Chi 09," as instructed by the scammers, could enable unauthorised access to your SIM card, potentially implicating you in illegal activities.
Precautions:
- Avoid answering or returning calls from unknown international numbers.
- Be cautious of requests to press specific keys during calls.
- Report any suspicious calls to your local cybercrime authorities immediately.
- Stay vigilant and help spread awareness to protect against such scams.
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