Cops warn against giving phones to strangers amid cyber fraud

Jaipur: Rajasthan Police Friday issued a public advisory warning citizens against handing over their mobile phones to strangers for making calls, cautioning that such acts could lead to serious cyber fraud.The advisory was issued by the cybercrime branch on the directions of director general of police Rajeev Kumar Sharma.Deputy inspector general (Cyber Crime) Shantanu Kumar Singh said fraudsters are targeting people at bus stands, railway stations, parks and tourist spots by seeking help to make urgent calls.He said that within seconds of gaining access to a phone, criminals can execute actions that may compromise bank accounts and personal data.Police said one of the most common methods is the call-forwarding scam, in which fraudsters dial a code from the victim's phone to divert OTPs to their own number, enabling unauthorised access to banking, messaging and social media accounts.In some cases, fraudsters may also install spyware or keyloggers on the device to monitor activity and steal passwords, financial information and private chats. They may also misuse contact lists to deceive relatives and extort money.Officials warned that if a phone is used for illegal activities, the registered owner may face complications during investigation.Police advised people to avoid handing over unlocked phones to strangers and instead dial the number themselves and use speaker mode.They also suggested checking call-forwarding status by dialling *#21# and disabling it using ##002# if required.Users were advised to secure payment applications with additional authentication such as biometric or PIN locks.Rajasthan Police urged the public to report cyber fraud on helpline number 1930, designated help desk numbers or through the official cybercrime portal.Further awareness measures are being planned, officials added.