TL;DR: If a caller tells you to dial *401# followed by a number, or any code starting with 21, 61 or 67, they are switching on call forwarding so your calls, including bank verification and voice OTP calls, ring on their phone instead of yours. India's cybercrime coordination centre has warned of a rise in this scam, often with a courier pretext. To check and cancel, open your phone's call forwarding settings or dial ##002#, then secure your accounts.

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Call forwarding is a normal phone feature, which is why this scam slips past antivirus and spam filters. Nothing gets installed. You are talked into typing a short code yourself.

How the scam works

  1. The pretext. The caller poses as a courier saying a parcel needs confirmation, as telecom customer care fixing a SIM or network problem, or as a bank or IT representative. Axis Bank describes the *401* code being presented as a requirement for parcel delivery.
  2. The code. You are told to dial *401# followed by a mobile number, which the Department of Telecommunications has cautioned activates unconditional call forwarding, per the Times of India. An advisory covered by Storyboard18 says the code usually begins with 21, followed by a number controlled by the fraudster.
  3. The hijack. Incoming calls, including bank verification calls, OTP confirmations and authentication requests from WhatsApp or Telegram, now go to the scammer while your phone stays quiet.
  4. The takeover. With those calls, they reset passwords and authorise transactions. Many victims notice only when money leaves the account or an app logs them out.

Is it still possible in India?

The Department of Telecommunications ordered telecom operators to discontinue USSD-based call forwarding from 15 April 2024 until further notice, as reported by TelecomTalk. Even so, an advisory issued under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre describes the scam as rising, and setups differ by operator and by country. Treat any request to dial a code as an attack, whatever the code looks like.

How to check if forwarding is switched on

How to cancel it

Switch forwarding off in those settings, or dial ##002#, which the advisory says cancels all call forwarding services. Then ask a friend to call you and confirm your phone rings again.

If forwarding was on

  1. Assume voice OTPs and verification calls were intercepted. Call your bank from another phone and block cards and UPI.
  2. Change passwords for email, banking, WhatsApp and Telegram, log out of other devices, and turn on two-step verification. Our guide to recovering a hacked WhatsApp or social account has the order to follow.
  3. Call 1930 or use the national cybercrime portal. The golden hour fund-freeze explainer shows why speed matters.
  4. Tell your telecom operator, and read how SIM swap fraud works, a related attack that also aims at your verification calls.

The parcel pretext is the same one used in the fake parcel and customs scam, and callers posing as support staff also appear in fake customer care number scams. If your phone is behaving oddly for other reasons, see signs your phone is hacked or tapped.

FAQs

What does *401# do?

According to the Department of Telecommunications, dialling *401# followed by a mobile number activates unconditional call forwarding, so all incoming calls go to that number. Scammers use it to receive your OTP and bank verification calls.

How do I cancel call forwarding?

Switch it off in your phone's call forwarding settings, or dial ##002#, which an Indian cybercrime advisory says cancels all call forwarding services. Then test by having someone call you.

Does call forwarding send my SMS OTPs to the scammer?

No. Forwarding redirects voice calls, not text messages. The risk is voice OTP calls, bank verification calls and account-recovery calls, which some services use as a fallback.

Can someone forward my calls without me dialling a code?

In this scam, the victim dials the code after being persuaded. A different attack, SIM swap, moves your number to another SIM through your telecom operator, so keep your carrier account protected as well.

Is this scam only in India?

No. The same trick works on any network that supports call forwarding codes. The rule is universal: never dial a code, or a number after a code, because an unknown caller told you to.

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Sources

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