Pesky Pakistanis may infiltrate your cellphone

Posing as agents for a telecom major, fraudsters are collecting IMEI numbers

Pesky Pakistanis may infiltrate your cellphone

Posing as agents for a telecom major, fraudsters are collecting IMEI numbers

All those pesky calls that you get, despite registering for Do Not Disturb, are not just from those selling property, cheaper call rates and promotional campaigns. Some of them are from across the border too. MiD DAY had reported how a bunch of Pakistani techies are rebounding calls from international centers to Indians for stealing precious data.

And the great Pakistani offer is still on. Prachi Tiwari, 34, (name changed on request) is among the victims.
Tiwari got a call from the number +923437633876 and the caller identified himself as an Airtel executive. "I know +92 code belongs to Pakistan, but the caller said he was Rajbeer Singh from Mumbai," she said. The caller told the call centre executive that she has won Rs 8.75 lakh in a promotional scheme by launched by Shah Rukh Khan. "He asked for my bank account number, mobile IMEI number and pan card details," Tiwari said. Though Tiwari did not divulge the information she informed this correspondent about the call, based upon her information regarding a similar news article in MiD DAY.

When MiD DAY called up the same number, posing as Amit, the receiver identified himself as an Airtel agent from Mumbai. We provided him with the information asked for like bank account, PAN and IMEI numbers. Then the receiver asked to press *#06# for confirmation. The code is usually used to check the IMEI number of a phone.
Then the fake agent said Rs 8.75 lakh will be deposited in Amit's account by 5.55 pm. He also asked us to remain on line for 20 minutes so that he can record our voice, which would be later "broadcast on Doordarshan at 11.55". Even cyber crime experts are puzzled at the reason behind fraudsters asking for IMEI numbers.

"There is a possibility that criminals are collecting IMEI numbers for selling them in the international market.

They may also use it clone the mobile phone and SIM cards. It can also be used for intercepting calls. Once the phone and SIM is cloned it becomes impossible to trace the actual users," said Himanshu Tiwari, a Gurgaon-based cyber crime expert.

Meanwhile, despite several attempts, Airtel didn't reply to MiD DAY's queries.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels