Fake Broadband Technician and Router Support Call by SMS

How it looks by SMS, the red flags and what to do.

On SMS the scammer has only a few lines to work with, so they use a deadline, a threat or a prize and a link that must be tapped "now". Fake Broadband Technician and Router Support Call is one of the ways this shows up: A caller from your 'internet provider' says your router needs a verification payment or app. It is a fake support call aimed at your UPI and card.

What fake broadband technician and router support call looks like by SMS

• Several near-identical messages arriving together from different senders.
• A sender name that resembles a bank, courier, tax or utility, or an ordinary mobile number.
• A very short message with a deadline such as "today" or "within 24 hours".

The scammer uses general facts such as the provider's name and city, bought from lists of subscribers or simply guessed. Many households use only a few big providers, so the guess is often right. He calls during a patch of slow internet, claiming that he saw the problem on his system. The timing and the polite tone make the story easy to accept.

Red flags to check on the text message

• A caller offers a free upgrade but needs a deposit or small payment first.
• You are asked to approve a UPI collect request to 'receive' a refund or equipment.
• A KYC form or ID photos are requested over WhatsApp.
• The caller wants you to install a support app and read out a code.
• The link domain is not the one you type yourself for that organisation.
• The message asks for an OTP, PIN, card number or password.

What to do

1. Hang up and contact the provider through its official app or the number on your bill.
2. Do not approve any collect request or scan any code during the call.
3. Do not send ID documents over chat to an unknown caller.
4. Report the sender on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) and block the number.
5. Delete the message and tell family members who may get the same text.
6. Do not reply, do not tap the link and do not call the number in the message.

You can report suspicious SMS and calls on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) of the Department of Telecommunications.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with the payment details.
2. Tell your bank through its official app and the number on your card.
3. If you shared ID photos, tell the provider and keep a close watch on messages and new loans or SIM requests.
4. Change your Wi-Fi password and your payment app PIN.

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

Paste any message or script into Scam check in Safeavio Sentinel to see the reasons it looks risky, such as a deposit demand and fake authority. Money Shield reminds you that a collect request needs a PIN only to pay, so approving it never helps you receive anything. Network tools in Safeavio include a Wi-Fi safety check, but they cannot tell you whether a technician is genuine and cannot block calls.

Full guide: Fake Broadband Technician and Router Support Call: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: phone call, WhatsApp, fake app.

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