Fraud alerts issued by the Indian Embassy in the United States

March 12 :
The public is being warned about fraudulent calls impersonating diplomatic personnel by the Indian diplomatic in Washington DC, which has issued an advice. Worries regarding recent scam calls using faked embassy telephone lines, including the official number (202-939-7000), are highlighted in the advice, which was posted on March 11.

The Indian embassy has received reports of scammers contacting Indian nationals in an effort to steal sensitive information (such as credit card numbers) or to coerce them into paying money by making up problems with their immigration documents, passports, or visa applications that need fixing immediately. In the event that victims do not comply, they are threatened with incarceration or deportation. These con artists have made up stories about how they got sensitive material from the Indian government or the embassy.

The notice makes it clear that embassy representatives will not phone you at random to ask for money or personal details. Only official emails from the domain @mea.gov.in should be used to request additional paperwork from the embassy.

The public is strongly encouraged to stay alert and not fall for these scam calls, according to the embassy. Avoid giving out personal information or transferring money to anyone you think might be trying to scam you over the phone. If you or someone you know has fallen victim to one of these scams, please contact the embassy at cons1.washington[@]mea.gov.in.

In addition, there is a specific form that people can use to provide details on spoofed calls to [email protected]. Make sure to include the subject line "INFORMATION ON SPOOFED CALLS." In order to stop any additional fraudulent actions, the authorities are still keeping an eye on things.