Call diversion trick, fake ‘digital arrests’ and global fraud links come to light
PANAJI
In the span of less than three weeks, Goa has found itself at the centre of a sophisticated surge in cyber-enabled crimes. A rapid-fire succession of investigations has unmasked an evolving digital underworld where fraudsters have abandoned crude scripts for high-tech manipulation.
In less than 20 days, the State has witnessed a shift from simple phone scams to highly coordinated operations that exploit both telecom vulnerabilities and the psychological vulnerabilities of its residents, now beyond the One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and digital arrest scams.
One of the most alarming and latest tactics identified is a deceptive 'courier scam' that manipulates the basic functions of a mobile phone. As reported by The Goan, victims receive calls regarding a 'phantom parcel' and are instructed to dial a code starting with *21*, to resolve the issue. In reality, this command silently activates unconditional call forwarding, diverting incoming calls – and critical voice-based bank alerts or OTPs – directly to the hackers' devices.
“Once the calls are diverted, the fraudster positions himself between the bank and the customer. Alerts, verification calls, even OTPs can be rerouted,” a senior police official said, adding that no official complaints have been filed regarding the new modus operandi so far.
The sophistication of these operations comes amid the rise of “digital arrest” cases, already reported across India. With several cases reported, in one such instance, the cybercrime unit arrested a young Maharashtrian for Rs 60 lakh fraud. The accused allegedly impersonated senior officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the judiciary, using WhatsApp video calls to place victims under “virtual surveillance”. Through a calculated mix of legal jargon and fabricated threats, victims were coerced into transferring large sums into mule accounts. A Panaji resident was among his victims.
The threat is not confined to external actors, as recent raids in Karmali and Corlim exposed illegal call centres operating under the name “Payday”. Operating out of rented villas, these setups were equipped with organised teams and digital infrastructure to target foreign nationals, particularly in the United States, with fraudulent loan offers. Victims were induced to pay “processing fees” through untraceable gift cards — a common tactic in international financial fraud.
“These were not small, makeshift setups. There was a clear organisation dedicated to callers, scripts, and payment channels. The victims were persuaded to pay processing fees through gift cards, which are difficult to trace and commonly used in international fraud,” an official said.
The wider network came into focus following a major crackdown in Gujarat earlier this week, in which the police dismantled a Rs 77-crore mule-account syndicate. The counterparts found links leading back to Goa, with seized data suggesting a structured global network divided into specialised units handling outreach, technical operations, and money laundering.
The State government has spent Rs 11.28 lakh on cybercrime investigations since 2023. In two and a half years, the State has registered nearly 320 cases, of which around 200 are pending investigations.
