The scam started with an automated voice call purportedly from TRAI, alarming the recipient about the imminent blocking of their phone number within two hours. Prompted to press 9 for further details, the call was seamlessly transferred to an individual posing as a representative from the Telecom Division.
A sophisticated scam operation recently came to light when a user, identified as X, shared their harrowing experience of being targeted by scammers posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Mumbai Police. The deceptive scheme unfolded through a series of orchestrated phone calls, leaving the victim bewildered and momentarily convinced of its authenticity.
The scam started with an automated voice call purportedly from TRAI, alarming the recipient about the imminent blocking of their phone number within two hours. Prompted to press 9 for further details, the call was seamlessly transferred to an individual posing as a representative from the Telecom Division. This fraudulent actor falsely implicated the recipient in a fictitious complaint, alleging illegal advertising and harassment through text messages originating from a number linked to their Aadhaar card.
: Today morning I received a call from better sophisticated scammers. The entire call lasted about 1 hour and I was quite convinced that it was genuine.
The scammers initially called me through an automated voice call (+91 8112-178017) saying it’s from . The… pic.twitter.com/lODyERbSBI
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Further complicating the ruse, the scammer claimed that the Mumbai Police had requested TRAI to block all numbers associated with the Aadhaar owner. Fabricated details of an FIR and a promise to connect the call to the Andheri East police station followed, culminating in the victim being instructed to obtain a "clarification letter" from the police.
The deception escalated as the victim was sequentially connected to various scammers assuming roles of a sub-inspector, a police officer, and eventually a head constable. These impostors coerced the victim into providing personal information under the guise of recording a statement for an alleged money laundering case.
In a bizarre turn of events, when confronted with a suspicious inquiry, the victim ingeniously deflected by humorously claiming familial ties with notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim, abruptly ending the charade.
The user, perturbed by the sophistication of the scam, urged the Mumbai Police to address the growing menace of impersonators using their identity for fraudulent activities. This plea gained traction on social media platforms, with numerous netizens sharing similar encounters and cautionary tales.
Additionally, a microblogger shared an image of a fake Mumbai police identity card circulating among scamsters, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance against such fraudulent tactics.