The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom service providers in India to cease USSD-based call forwarding services from April 15, 2024, to prevent misuse of the feature. This move comes in response to instances where the *401# USSD code, used for activating unconditional call forwarding, has been exploited for unauthorized activities. The DoT’s order mandates discontinuation of these services until further notice and urges telcos to find alternative methods for enabling call forwarding on mobile devices.
The directive emphasizes that existing subscribers who have activated USSD-based call forwarding services must be prompted to re-enable them through alternative means, ensuring that such services are activated with proper notice. This measure aims to curb fraudulent activities increasingly perpetrated through call forwarding scams. Scammers typically impersonate telecom service representatives, deceive subscribers into dialing *401# followed by a mobile number, and activate unconditional call forwarding to reroute incoming calls to their own devices.
The DoT’s action follows a rise in fraudulent practices exploiting call forwarding. In response, the government has advised caution against responding to suspicious calls prompting users to dial *401# and has issued warnings about sharing personal information or answering calls from unknown foreign numbers, as part of broader efforts to combat telecom-related scams in the country.
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