Beware: Online Criminals Utilizing Discarded ‘1800’ Toll-Free Numbers To Target Internet Users

AHMEDABAD: You need to get in touch with a company’s customer service, so you use Google to look out their helpline number. You locate a toll-free number that begins with the number “1800,” and you assume it is legitimate.

When you call the number, a helpful voice on the other end listens to your problem explanation. They then send you a link via WhatsApp, instructing you to click on it and fill out a form. When you believe they are going to fix your issue, the call is cut off and you realise that all of the money in your bank account has vanished.

Sounds ominous? Well, for many who have fallen victim to online scammers who have been enticing unsuspecting individuals with abandoned hotline numbers, this predicament is not hypothetical; rather, it is a reality. These are the numbers that were formerly employed by government agencies, multinational corporations, and banking institutions but were later eliminated or modified.
These numbers have been acquired by the cybercriminals, who are utilising them to extort unwary clients.

At least 52 of these helplines are being investigated by the Gujarat police, according to sources in the cyber unit of the Gujarat CID (crime). These are being utilised by scammers who purchased them to access Chinese servers.

Nimesh Patel, who lives in Surafaliyu in the Kheda town of Nadiad, is one of their victims. On July 30, he made a reservation on a train from Nadiad to Bikaner in Rajasthan. Later, his aunt informed him that she wished to reschedule her train travel on a another day and cancel her ticket. He looked up the IRCTC customer service number on Google and discovered a toll-free number: “18004123622.” He called an IRCTC employee, who answered the phone and identified herself. Patel explained to her that he wanted to rebook a ticket and receive his money back.

She took his ticket information before abruptly cutting the phone line. She then WhatsApp messaged him a link. A website opened after Patel clicked the link. On WhatsApp, she began providing him new numbers, instructing him to enter them on the website. He complied with her requests.

Patel claims that after doing this for about 30 minutes, he discovered that his bank account had been debited by Rs 2 lakh. On August 6, Patel submitted a FIR to the Nadiad Town Police. Later, he discovered that the number he had dialled was actually an old one that had previously been employed by a variety of other organisations and was not the IRCTC’s official helpline.

According to CID officials, at least three government agencies, five multinational corporations, and two banking institutions had previously utilised “18004123622” as a hotline. They junked the number, and after that, cybercriminals took control of it.

According to the officer of the cyber cell, this is not a singular incident but rather part of a larger scam that has been preying on internet users looking for complaint or assistance hotlines. He claimed that the con artists are employing advanced methods to spoof caller ID and give the impression that they are calling from a reliable source.

Before phoning a number they found through a Google search, the officer advised individuals to be cautious and double-check it with the company’s official website. Additionally, he cautioned people about giving out financial or personal information over the phone or clicking on any dubious links. He advised people to report any similar cases to the police, saying that they are working hard to track down and apprehend those responsible for this scam.