What are fake IVR calls? The new scam targeting your money

Recently, a pistillate from Bengaluru mislaid Rs 2 lakh aft she responded to an automated telephone telephone that mimicked her bank’s IVR system. Reportedly, the incidental took spot connected January 20 erstwhile she received a telephone from a fig that displayed ‘SBI’ arsenic the caller ID. Incidentally, the pistillate besides has an relationship with the SBI Bank. The IVR telephone told her that Rs 2 lakh was being transferred from her relationship and that if she wanted to quality this transaction, she would person the press-specific keys. The unfortunate followed the instructions without hesitation. The telephone ended soon aft and a connection flashed connected the surface informing her that the sum had been debited from her account. Later, the unfortunate narrated the incidental to the slope officials, and a ceremonial ailment was registered.

In different incident, a antheral from Dollygunj, Sri Vijaya Puram, mislaid astir Rs 80,000. In September 2024, helium allegedly received a telephone from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) informing that his mobile web would beryllium suspended. The scammer instructed him to property 9 during the telephone and claimed that his Aadhaar and telephone fig were being utilized for amerciable activities successful Mumbai. The telephone was past transferred to different idiosyncratic impersonating a cybercrime officer. Following the duo’s instructions, the unfortunate ended up losing the money.

This week, indianexpress.com walks you done the dangers of fake IVR scam calls and however to enactment protected. We spoke with Dipanshu Parashar, laminitis of Virtual Cyber Labs, for adept insights.

How bash scammers exploit IVR systems?

“Scammers acceptable up fake IVR systems that dependable conscionable similar the existent ones and instrumentality radical into entering delicate information—like banking details, OTPs, oregon paper numbers,” said Parashar, adding, “The scam usually starts with a telephone pretending to beryllium from a bank, saying there’s a occupation with the slope relationship oregon an urgent transaction that needs verification. If you autumn for it and participate your details, the scammers get entree to your money.”

According to him, present are the communal tactics utilized by scammers:

Caller ID spoofing: The scam telephone appears to travel from a fig that looks legitimate, sometimes adjacent matching the authoritative fig of the fiscal instauration oregon the authorities agency.

Professional dependable cloning: The automated dependable mimics existent IVR systems, making it dependable credible.

Inducing panic: Victims perceive alarming messages similar “Your relationship volition beryllium blocked successful 2 hours” oregon “An unauthorised transaction has been made.”

According to Parashar, elder citizens are astir susceptible to fake IVR telephone scams since they are not comfy with technology. Other susceptible groups see non-English speakers –– connection obstruction tin marque it hard to verify calls. Small concern owners and caller online banking users are besides susceptible targets.

How to place fake IVR calls

Identifying fake IVR calls is reasonably simple. Legitimate IVRs ne'er inquire for OTPs, CVVs, oregon passwords. If a strategy requests these, it’s a scam. Now, ideate you person followed the fake IVR instructions to scope a constituent wherever a scammer posing arsenic a fake lawsuit work typical is talking to you. In specified a situation, ever retrieve that scammers unreserved you. Real lawsuit work representatives won’t unit you to enactment immediately. Fake IVRs besides dependable overly alarming. Real IVRs supply neutral, straightforward instructions. When successful doubt, verify the interaction number. If successful doubt, bent up and telephone the authoritative fig from the bank’s website.

How to support from falling for fake IVR scam calls

📌 Never participate delicate details similar OTPs, PINs, oregon paper numbers during automated calls.

📌 Enable SMS and email alerts to verify transactions.

📌 Register for Do Not Disturb (DND) services to trim spam calls.

📌 Report suspicious calls to cybercrime officials and your bank.

📌 If a telephone disconnects abruptly aft you participate details, interaction your slope immediately.

“Scammers tin summation entree to accounts done these fake calls. Once they get details similar OTP oregon debit paper number, scammers tin marque fraudulent transactions oregon adjacent instrumentality implicit the slope account. In immoderate cases, scammers tin grounds the dependable of victims and usage AI to replicate it, tricking banks into verifying fake transactions,” Parashar said.

Are banks and telecom companies doing enough?

“Financial and firm institutions are stepping up their crippled successful preventing these scams,” said Parashar. Here are immoderate measures they take:

📌 Blocking spoofed numbers and filtering fraudulent calls.

📌 Using AI to observe antithetic telephone patterns associated with fraud.

📌 Running consciousness campaigns to amended customers.

📌 Enhancing authentication methods to forestall scammers from bypassing security.

However, scammers are becoming much sophisticated, utilizing AI-generated voices and deepfake exertion to imitate existent slope employees. “Fraudsters present usage precocious caller ID spoofing and vishing bots that respond successful real-time, making scams adjacent much convincing,” said Parashar.

What to bash if you are scammed

📌Hang up instantly and telephone your slope utilizing the authoritative number.

📌Report the scam to cybercrime authorities and TRAI’s DND registry.

📌If banking details were shared, interaction your slope to artifact your paper oregon frost transactions.

📌File a ailment connected cybercrime.gov.in oregon telephone 1930 for assistance.

📌File a First Information Report (FIR) with your section constabulary for documentation and investigation. You tin besides record a ailment astatine https://cybercrime.gov.in/ oregon telephone connected 1930.

The Safe Side: As the satellite evolves, the integer scenery does too, bringing caller opportunities—and caller risks. Scammers are becoming much sophisticated, exploiting vulnerabilities to their advantage. In our peculiar diagnostic series, we delve into the latest cybercrime trends and supply applicable tips to assistance you enactment informed, secure, and vigilant online.