Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police Thursday issued a warning to mobile users, urging caution against answering calls originating from Pakistani numbers starting with +92 on WhatsApp. Through their official social media platform, the Odisha Police advised mobile users to exercise vigilance and refrain from engaging with callers claiming to be police officers demanding money under pretenses involving their relatives. The cautionary measure was prompted by a surge in reports across the state regarding fraudulent calls, wherein cybercriminals impersonate law enforcement officials to extort money from unsuspecting individuals. These deceptive tactics, increasingly adopted by cyber fraudsters, involve falsely accusing recipients’ relatives, and exploiting their trust to manipulate them into divulging personal information or transferring funds. The Odisha Police emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant and urged citizens not to disclose any details upon receiving such calls.
Prior to this advisory, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications had issued a similar cautionary notice, warning mobile users to be wary of incoming calls from foreign numbers, specifically those beginning with +92, on WhatsApp. The Ministry’s advisory underscored the importance of withholding information when confronted by callers purporting to be government officials threatening to disconnect mobile services due to alleged involvement in illicit activities.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
