Cyber scammers find 'conference call' a new way to break into Assam journalist's vault, police stay 'helpless'

Gone are the days when cyber fraudsters simply asked you to tap on a link or share an OTP to siphon money from your bank account. Now, they target your finances through conference calls.

This new cyber-extortion racket is sweeping across urban India — one that doesn’t just target your phone or your bank account, but your entire contact network.

In this chilling new trend, to get you on a conference call, criminals weaponise your professional ecosystem, shaming and harassing the people around you to force you into paying for loans you never took.

India Today NE spoke to a couple from Assam's Guwahati — the husband is a corporate employee and the wife is a journalist — whose lives were thrown into chaos in barely 48 hours.

But when they reached out to the authorities, to the couple’s great disappointment, the police said that system-generated numbers cannot be blocked and that the only option is to report them manually.

 

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WHAT IS THE STORY?

 

It Starts With a Polite Call — And Ends With Panic

The first red flag appeared when a private-sector employee (who wished to remain anonymous) received a message from his colleagues: they were getting calls about his supposed job application at another firm. The callers claimed to be conducting a background verification.

This was the trap. The moment the colleagues engaged, the scammers confirmed the victim's workplace network. That was the moment the scammers got what they wanted — confirmation of the employee’s workplace network, hierarchy, and available phone numbers.

Within hours, the tone changed and the the narrative flipped.

 

From Verification to Defamation

The callers now introduced themselves as “recovery agents” from various banks, accusing the employee of defaulting on multiple loans. They began phoning staff members across the office, including those who barely knew him, spreading allegations designed to embarrass and isolate him. The aim was simple: psychological pressure through public humiliation.

 

When the Husband Didn’t Break, They Targeted His Wife

Then came phase two. The scammers reached out to former colleagues of the victim’s wife, who is a journalist at a reputed firm. The pitch changed: a pending courier parcel, urgent delivery, and a request to connect her via a conference call. When the former colleagues reached out to her regarding the matter, she refused to connect through conference calls. That refusal triggered the next wave.

Suddenly, acquaintances she hadn’t spoken to in years — ex-colleagues, old contacts, relatives — began receiving abusive, vulgar calls claiming she and her husband had defaulted on loans. The humiliation spirals to the extent that your acquaintances start questioning your genuineness.

The scammers even reached out to the wife’s brother’s colleagues and other acquaintances, threatening that if he didn’t ask them to repay the loans, they would contact the brother’s office's CEO.

This is the core tactic of the scam: weaponising your social graph to force compliance.

 

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No Bank Details. No Account Numbers. Only Aggression.

Whenever the couple tried to verify the claims by asking basic questions — “Which bank?” “Which branch?” “What loan account number?” — the callers offered nothing. Because there were no loans. There was no bank. There was only the threat of reputational destruction.

The couple said that the multiple callers appeared to be from the NCR region, based on the language they used.

 

What Happened When They Went to the Police

The couple did everything right:

1. Called the Cyber Crime Helpline 1903

2. Filed a complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal

3. Another online complaint filed at Department of Telecom - Chakshu

4. Visited the city’s Cyber Crime Cell

 

But the investigation revealed the toughest part: The police revealed that the numbers used were system-generated, often bot-driven, and changed rapidly. Blocking was ineffective. Tracing was difficult. And the harassment continued from fresh numbers each time.

Officers admitted that this model of cybercrime — based on psychological intimidation rather than financial theft — is among the hardest to curb, and the mental agony comes at a different cost.

 

How to Protect Yourself from Such Cybercrimes:

1. Never join a conference call from an unknown number: This is the trigger point for mapping your network.

2. Ask specific questions to expose the scam: Banks always provide branch, loan account, and ID details.

3. Don’t just block, report: Use the “Report Suspect to I4C” option on the Cybercrime Portal.

4. Alert your workplace immediately - Early communication prevents reputational damage.

5. Never pay - The moment you pay, you become a repeat target.

 

Also Read: Itanagar Police promote online safety with cyber awareness marathon

It is advisable not to answer unknown numbers, because if even one belongs to a fraudster, answering or disconnecting will only trigger relentless calls.

However, it is noteworthy that certain professionals, including journalists, cannot avoid unknown callers, as these might be work-related.

 

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t a traditional loan scam. This is reputation warfare — a cybercrime model built on shame, fear, and social pressure. If this happens to you, remember, You are not the culprit. You are the victim.

Inform your circle. Report aggressively. Don’t give in.