Kolkata Police warns against WhatsApp ‘call merge’ fraud
Times of India | 1 April 2025
Kolkata: Kolkata Police have issued a warning about a new WhatsApp scam targeting Kolkatans—and those across the state—through call merging tactics, which has become the most frequently used cyber fraud modus operandi. Hundreds of people across the country faced identity theft, personal document compromises, and even lost money over the past three months. In Kolkata, around 33 cases of this fraud have already been reported.
According to the video posted by Bengal Police on Facebook, fraudsters are exploiting call merging features to intercept one-time passwords and gain unauthorised access to victims' bank accounts. Scammers initiate contact by calling the victims, often claiming to be using referrals from mutual acquaintances. They then request the victim to merge the call with another number, purportedly belonging to a bank official, or the fake ID of an acquaintance. "What victims don't realise is that the merged call connects them to an automated OTP verification system from their actual bank," said a senior official. "All profiles need to be authenticated with two-step authentication," he added.
The Banking Association of India has emphasised that financial institutions never request OTPs via phone calls. The Reserve Bank of India has also issued guidelines requiring banks to enhance their verification processes and customer education programmes.
Kolkata: Kolkata Police have issued a warning about a new WhatsApp scam targeting Kolkatans—and those across the state—through call merging tactics, which has become the most frequently used cyber fraud modus operandi. Hundreds of people across the country faced identity theft, personal document compromises, and even lost money over the past three months. In Kolkata, around 33 cases of this fraud have already been reported.
According to the video posted by Bengal Police on Facebook, fraudsters are exploiting call merging features to intercept one-time passwords and gain unauthorised access to victims' bank accounts. Scammers initiate contact by calling the victims, often claiming to be using referrals from mutual acquaintances. They then request the victim to merge the call with another number, purportedly belonging to a bank official, or the fake ID of an acquaintance. "What victims don't realise is that the merged call connects them to an automated OTP verification system from their actual bank," said a senior official. "All profiles need to be authenticated with two-step authentication," he added.
The Banking Association of India has emphasised that financial institutions never request OTPs via phone calls. The Reserve Bank of India has also issued guidelines requiring banks to enhance their verification processes and customer education programmes.
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