Silent Call Fraud: Do you receive calls where there's no sound from the other end? Government issues a major alert regarding silent calls..

Has it ever happened to you that your phone rang, you answered the call and said hello, but there was complete silence on the other end? Often, we ignore this, assuming it's a network problem, and sometimes we even call that number back. If you do this, stop! You could be falling victim to a major cyber fraud.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a serious warning to millions of mobile users in the country regarding silent calls. Let's understand what this new scam is and how you can protect yourself.

What is the silent call scam?
The Department of Telecommunications, in a video shared on its official social media handle, explained that when you receive a call from an unknown number with no sound on the other end, it's not a mistake or a network problem, but a deliberate plot by scammers.

The DoT explained that cybercriminals use these calls for screening purposes. They simply want to check if your mobile number is active. When you answer the call, the scammers note how long it took you to answer, what kind of background noises are present, and your tone of voice. This allows them to profile you, and your number is then added to their target list.

What happens after you answer the call?
Once the scammers are convinced that the number is active and the user answers the call, the real game begins. After a few days, you start receiving calls or messages from different numbers. You might be threatened that your bank account or credit card is about to be blocked. Sometimes, scammers try to trick you by impersonating bank officials or police officers.

How to protect yourself?
The Department of Telecommunications has given some important instructions to users to protect themselves from this threat:
If you receive a call from an unknown number with no sound, do not call that number back under any circumstances. It can be dangerous.
Instead of ignoring such suspicious numbers, report them immediately on the government's Sanchar Saathi portal or app. Additionally, you can report such numbers through the Chakshu facility.
If a call from such a number asks for an OTP, password, or card details, file a complaint on the Government of India's cybercrime portal, cybercrime.gov.in.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.