Hyderabad Police Alert: Fraudsters Using Fake Courier Calls to Hijack Accounts

Hyderabad's cyber crime division has sounded an alarm about a growing fraud scheme targeting residents through impersonated courier service representatives.

The scam operates through a deceptive process. Fraudsters contact residents claiming to be Blue Dart delivery executives and state they cannot locate the intended delivery address. They then request the victim to enter specific codes—such as 21MobileNumber#—telling them this will assist in pinpointing the location.

What victims don't realize is that entering these codes activates call forwarding on their mobile devices. Once this feature is enabled, the criminals gain the ability to intercept incoming verification calls and one-time passwords sent to the victim's phone. This access opens the door to compromising sensitive accounts, particularly WhatsApp, which can then be weaponized to defraud the victim's contacts.

The cyber police have emphasized the importance of vigilance when receiving unsolicited calls. Citizens are urged to refrain from entering codes provided by unknown callers and to never share one-time passwords or verification codes under any circumstances. When receiving calls about deliveries, residents should independently verify the communication through official customer support channels rather than acting on information provided by the caller.

For those who suspect they have fallen victim to such fraud, immediate action is necessary. Victims should promptly disable call forwarding settings and secure their accounts with new passwords. The incident should then be reported to relevant authorities.

The Cyber Crime Helpline can be reached at 1930 for assistance. Alternatively, complaints can be filed through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

Authorities have called on the public to exercise caution with all unsolicited requests and to verify information before complying with instructions received over phone calls.