Fraud Alert! Scammers Using Call Merge to Steal OTPs—Stay Safe

A new scam that scammers are employing to take advantage of call merging tactics has been warned about by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This technique deceives people into disclosing their One-Time Passwords (OTPs), which results in large financial losses.

The problem was brought to light on the social networking site X by NPCI, the company that created the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). They issued a warning to subscribers, saying, “Call merging is being used by scammers to fool you into disclosing OTPs. Avoid falling for it! Keep an eye out and safeguard your finances.

How Do the Fraudsters Work?

Fraudsters phone unsuspecting individuals posing as friends or acquaintances to carry out the scam. They ask that the call be combined to include the user, claiming to have acquired their contact information through a common relationship. The victim unintentionally connects to a legitimate OTP verification call from their bank once they consent.

To get the victim to divulge the OTP without understanding they are being tricked, the thieves carefully schedule their calls. The fraudsters carry out illegal transactions as soon as the victim provides the OTP, causing them to suffer financial losses.

How To Stay Safe

UPI has offered several safety precautions to help consumers guard against this fraud. First of all, people should refrain from combining calls from unfamiliar numbers, as fraudsters sometimes employ this strategy to win people over. Second, before responding to a caller posing as a bank official or a recognised contact, it is imperative to confirm their identification.

Finally, anyone who receives an OTP for a transaction they did not conduct should contact the National Cybercrime Cell, 1930, right away to report it. To avoid any fraud, they should also inform their bank.

Authorities advise customers to be alert and proactive in protecting their financial information since fraudsters are always improving their tactics. Preventing financial theft requires being educated and using effective security measures.