Embassy Of India Warns Of Fraudulent Calls Impersonating Official Lines
Photo: shammas kalathil
India-West Staff Reporter
WASHINGTON DC – The Embassy of India in Washington, DC has issued an advisory alerting the public about an ongoing scam where fraudsters are spoofing the Embassy’s phone lines to deceive people. These fraudulent calls, appearing to originate from the Embassy’s official number (202-939-7000), have been targeting individuals, particularly Indian nationals, with the intent to steal personal information or extort money.
According to the Embassy, scammers have been contacting victims under the guise of being Embassy officials, claiming there are issues with passports, visa forms, or immigration documents. They falsely inform individuals that these supposed errors can only be rectified by paying money. The fraudsters also warn that failure to address these issues could result in deportation to India or imprisonment in the United States.
In some instances, the callers have falsely claimed to have received sensitive information from the Embassy or other authorities in India. The fraud has even extended to visa applicants, who have received similar calls, allegedly from the Embassy, further complicating the situation.
The Embassy of India has clarified that no officials will ever contact individuals to request personal information via telephone. If additional documentation is required for an existing application, it will only be requested via email from the official domain @mea.gov.in.
As a precaution, the Embassy urges all individuals to be cautious and not engage with any suspicious calls. It is advised that no personal information or money be shared with such callers. Those who receive fraudulent calls are encouraged to report the incident by emailing cons1.washington[at]mea.gov.in.
Furthermore, individuals who have encountered such spoofed calls are invited to share information about the incidents by filling out a form and emailing it to cpers.washington@mea.gov.in with the subject line “INFORMATION ON SPOOFED CALLS.”
The Embassy continues to urge the public to remain vigilant and to safeguard their personal details from scammers.
