GUWAHATI: NPCI issued a warning about a new scam that fraudsters are using to steal money from unsuspecting individuals. This latest scheme involves scammers deceiving victims through call merging, allowing them to gain access to One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and carry out unauthorised transactions.
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The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has taken to social media to alert users about the dangers of this scam. In a recent post on X, the organisation cautioned that scammers are employing call-merging techniques to trick people into revealing their OTPs, saying, “Scammers are using call merging to trick you into revealing OTPs. Don’t fall for it! Stay alert and protect your money.”
The scam typically begins with a fraudster calling an unsuspected victim and claiming they obtained their number through a mutual friend. The scammer then persuades the victim to merge the call with another individual, who is supposedly a friend but is, in reality, part of the scam. Once the call is merged, the unsuspecting victim is unknowingly connected to a legitimate OTP verification call from their bank. At this point, the fraudster manipulates the victim into disclosing the OTP, which is then used to complete unauthorised transactions, resulting in financial loss.
Authorities have urged people to be cautious and avoid merging calls with unknown numbers. They have also advised users to verify the identity of callers claiming to be from a bank or a trusted contact before proceeding with any request. Additionally, individuals who receive an OTP for an unrequested transaction should immediately report it by calling 1930 to alert their bank and prevent potential fraud.