Jaipur, April 3 (IANS) A simple act of kindness, lending your mobile phone to a stranger for an urgent call, could now lead to a serious cyber fraud, Rajasthan police have warned.

Acting on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Kumar Sharma, the Cyber Crime Branch of the Rajasthan Police has issued a public advisory, warning citizens about emerging tactics used by cybercriminals to exploit unsuspecting individuals.

DIG (Cyber Crime) Shantanu Kumar Singh explained that at bus stands, railway stations, parks, and tourist locations, fraudsters approach people claiming to need a phone for an urgent call.

Once the phone is handed over, they execute their plan within seconds, potentially wiping out bank accounts or gaining full access to personal data.

The most alarming technique, police say, is the ‘Call Forwarding Scam. Fraudsters dial a specific code from the victim’s phone, diverting all One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to their own number. With OTPs in their control, they can easily access bank accounts, WhatsApp, and social media profiles.

In other cases, criminals install spyware or keyloggers that track every activity, passwords, banking details, private chats, sending all the data to them continuously.

They can even steal contact lists and extort victims’ relatives by fabricating emergencies.

Additionally, if a criminal uses your number for any illegal call, it may surface during police investigations, unnecessarily dragging you into legal trouble.

Rajasthan police have advised that there is no harm in helping others, but with caution. “Keep your phone in your hand, dial the number yourself, and let them talk on speaker. Never hand over your unlocked phone to a stranger. If you accidentally did so, immediately dial *#21# to check call forwarding, dial ##002# to disable any call forwarding and ensure every payment/UPI app is protected with a separate PIN or biometric lock.

–IANS

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