The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a fresh warning to mobile users over a rising number of scam calls that appear to be international but display India’s +91 country code.
The government has urged people to stay alert and avoid sharing personal or financial information during such calls.
In an advisory shared on X, the DoT said genuine international calls always show the country code of the country from where the call is being made. If a call claims to be international but still shows the +91 prefix, users should treat it as suspicious and report it immediately. The warning comes amid a sharp rise in telecom-related cyber frauds across the country.
Scammers using caller ID spoofing
According to the DoT, fraudsters are using caller ID spoofing techniques to manipulate the number shown on mobile screens. These cybercriminals often pose as telecom officials, police officers, bank employees, or customer support executives to trick people into revealing sensitive information such as OTPs, ATM PINs, passwords, and banking details.
Officials said the scammers try to create panic by threatening users with SIM card suspension, fake legal action, parcel delivery problems, or unpaid bill notices.
Users advised to stay cautious
The telecom department has advised citizens not to answer suspicious calls, click on unknown links, or return missed calls from unfamiliar international-looking numbers. Similar alerts have earlier been issued by telecom companies and cybercrime agencies regarding fake verification calls and premium-rate scams.
The DoT also clarified that legitimate international calls cannot display India’s +91 code unless the caller is using an Indian mobile number. Users have been asked to independently verify unknown callers before sharing any details.
Report suspicious calls
The government has encouraged people to report suspicious calls and telecom fraud attempts through the Sanchar Saathi platform. Cybersecurity experts say public awareness remains one of the strongest safeguards against telecom fraud as spoofing methods continue to become more advanced.