On Tuesday, the Embassy was notified that some fraudsters were spoofing the Embassy of India’s telephone lines to make calls aimed at cheating people.
Some calls are shown as being from the Embassy telephone numbers (202-939-7000), while others use Embassy identity. These fraudsters either seek personal information like credit card details or try to extort money from Indian nationals by claiming, inter alia, that there are errors in their passports, visa forms, immigration forms, etc. that could be rectified by paying cash. At the same time, they warn that the so-called errors, if not rectified, could result in the individual’s deportation to India or their imprisonment in the USA.
In some cases, these fraudsters have also falsely claimed that they received such privileged information from the Embassy or other authorities in India. Visa applicants have also received such calls purporting to be from the Embassy.
This is to confirm that no officials from the Embassy make telephone calls seeking personal information from Indian or foreign nationals. If additional documentation is required from an existing applicant, it is sought only through email(s) originating from the email domain @mea.gov.in.
The Embassy of India hereby advises members of the public not to entertain any suspicious telephone calls made in the name of the Embassy of India. They are also advised not to reveal personal information or transfer money in response to such calls. They may bring such matters to the notice of the Embassy at the email ID: cons1.washington[at]mea.gov.in.
Also if you want to share the information on spoofed telephone calls, PLEASE FILL THE FORM and send it by email to cpers.washington@mea.gov.in with the subject: INFORMATION ON SPOOFED CALLS.
