The Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police has issued a public advisory regarding a new and emerging cyber fraud, where criminals impersonate courier or delivery service agents to fraudulently access citizens’ bank accounts and social media profiles.
As part of this scam, cybercriminals contact individuals claiming to confirm or reschedule a parcel delivery. During the conversation, victims are instructed to dial a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) code received via SMS, typically beginning with *21* followed by a mobile number that belongs to the fraudster. Dialing this code enables call forwarding on the victim’s mobile phone without their knowledge.
Once call forwarding is activated, all incoming calls, including bank verification calls, OTP confirmations, and authentication calls from WhatsApp or Telegram, are automatically diverted to the fraudster. This allows criminals to carry out unauthorised financial transactions and take over messaging accounts.
Additional Director General of Police, Cyber Crime Wing, Sandeep Mittal, has cautioned the public and appealed to them to remain alert and share this advisory with family members, friends, and colleagues.
Public Advisory
Never dial USSD codes such as *21*, *61*, *67*, or similar codes shared by unknown callers
Do not trust unsolicited calls claiming to be from courier or delivery companies
Avoid clicking on suspicious delivery links received via SMS, WhatsApp, or email
Verify delivery details only through official courier websites or customer care numbers
If call forwarding is activated unknowingly, dial ##002# immediately to cancel all call forwarding services
Any individual who has fallen victim to this scam or suspects fraudulent activity is advised to report it immediately by calling the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or by filing a complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in.