Broadband and Fibre Installation Engineer Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

Callers pretend to be bank staff, police, a courier, a telecom officer or a relative, and they try to keep you on the line while you act. Broadband and Fibre Installation Engineer Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A caller offers a cheap broadband or fibre plan or says your router needs an upgrade, asks for an advance or remote access, then drains your account.

What broadband and fibre installation engineer scam looks like over the phone

• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.
• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.
• An unknown or international number, or a number that looks like a real office.

The scammer finds you through an ad, a social media post or a call pretending to be from your broadband provider. They know typical plan names and quote attractive prices. They say an engineer will visit but first need a small advance or a copy of your ID for the connection form. The urgency is that the discounted plan or free installation ends today.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• A cheap plan is offered only for today.
• An advance is requested through a QR code or personal UPI.
• You are asked to send an Aadhaar photo through chat.
• The caller wants you to install a support app.
• The caller wants you to install an app to "fix" something.
• The caller asks for an OTP, UPI PIN, card PIN or CVV.

What to do

1. Do not pay an advance or scan a QR code from a caller.
2. Contact your provider through its official app, store or the number on your bill.
3. Do not send ID photos before a named, verified visit.
4. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.
5. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).
6. Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back.

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 at once if money was taken, and give the payment details.
2. Ask your bank through the number on your card to block the payment app and cards if you shared access.
3. Uninstall any support app and change passwords from a clean device.
4. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in and watch for misuse of your ID copy.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio Sentinel's QR check lets you scan a code and see where it goes before paying or opening it, which helps with the advance step. The scam check reads a message you paste and notes pressure, an advance demand and an ID request. The phone scan lists installed apps and permissions, including remote-support style apps. It cannot confirm a provider's offers, so verify through the provider's official app or store.

Full guide: Broadband and Fibre Installation Engineer Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, fake app.

Questions