Hyderabad Cybercrime Police Warn Citizens Against Rising OTP Fraud Trends
HYDERABAD:Â Cybercrime officials in Hyderabad issued a public advisory cautioning citizens about an increase in OTP based frauds, warning that callers posing as bank staff, delivery executives, loan agents and customer-care representatives are tricking people into sharing one-time passwords that enable unauthorised access to bank accounts, digital wallets, e-commerce apps and personal data.
Fraudsters use multiple pretexts to obtain OTPs
According to the advisory, scammers are using fake bank or KYC update calls, online shopping and cashback scams, bogus customer-care numbers obtained through Google searches, and false promises of instant loans or job approvals to extract OTPs from victims.
Officials said criminals also send fraudulent UPI collect requests by claiming that money will be credited, while the request actually causes a debit when approved. In some cases, fraudsters misuse collected details to issue duplicate SIM cards and gain control over banking alerts, OTPs and SMS notifications.
Warning on delivery and e-commerce impersonation
The advisory noted that impersonation of delivery executives and marketplace agents has emerged as another method, with callers demanding OTPs under the pretext of verifying return or refund requests.
Officials ask citizens not to share OTPs under any circumstance
Authorities stressed that no bank, government department, e-commerce platform, loan provider or delivery service ever asks for OTPs. Citizens have been urged not to respond to unknown calls or messages seeking verification for card activation, KYC updates, EMI relief or reward points.
The police also advised users not to approve unknown UPI collect requests and to verify customer-care numbers only through official websites or mobile apps.
Security measures and reporting protocol
People have been advised to enable SIM lock, device screen lock and bank transaction alerts, and to avoid sharing screenshots of messages on social media, as OTPs can be extracted from them.
Suspicious activity or attempted fraud should be reported immediately to the National Cybercrime Helpline 1930 or filed online at cybercrime.gov.in. Citizens can also follow the Hyderabad Cybercrime Police on Facebook, Instagram and X for continuous awareness updates.
The advisory was issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crimes, Hyderabad City.
