Zerodha recently shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) to raise awareness about a new type of scam that preys on people’s goodwill. The post explains how scammers approach unsuspecting individuals, requesting to borrow their phones under the pretence of an emergency call. It further states that while lending your phone might seem like a ‘simple act of kindness,’ it can cause severe damage.
“Have you ever handed over your phone to a stranger needing “just one call”? This simple act of kindness could cost you your entire savings. From intercepting your OTPs to draining your bank accounts, scammers can cause serious damage without you even realizing it. In this video, we explain how these scammers operate, who they target, and most importantly, how you can protect yourself,” the post says.
— zerodhaonline (@zerodhaonline)
How giving phone to strangers can scam you
The post also has a video explaining how these scams work, identifying the common tactics scammers use, their target demographic, and the crucial steps people can take to protect themselves from falling victim. Called the ‘Quick Call Trap’, the scam begins when you hand over your smartphone to a stranger for a quick call. The stranger, who requested your smartphone on the pretext of an emergency, installs a suspicious app or accesses your payment apps like GPay and Paytm to get personal information. They can also change settings on your phone to forward your calls and messages to their number.
Initially, victims may not see any signs of tampering on their phones. But once these scammers can access your calls and messages, they intercept OTPs, passwords, or personal information to make unauthorized transactions from your bank accounts. These fraudsters may also change passwords of your banking apps or social media accounts—all without the victim realizing it.
The video further warns that scammers typically target people who “are less comfortable with technology.”
How to stay safe against Quick Call Trap scams
Some of the tips are:
- Never hand your phone to strangers
- If you do, make the call yourself and put the call on speaker for them to talk
- Check your phone’s settings regularly. Make sure any call forwarding is disabled
- Never share OTPs with others
