By: Dr Avi Verma

The Consulate General of India in New York has issued a public advisory warning about a surge in fraudulent attempts by scammers impersonating consulate and Government of India officials through fake calls and letters.

According to Ambassador Binaya S. Pradhan, the scammers are attempting to deceive members of the Indian diaspora by seeking sensitive personal information, including one-time passwords, bank details, and account passwords. The consulate has clarified that it never requests such confidential information under any circumstances.

Officials urged the community to remain alert and verify any suspicious communication directly through the official email address cons.newyork@mea.gov.in. They also advised individuals to report scam attempts to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

The advisory emphasized heightened vigilance and encouraged community members to protect themselves and their families from digital fraud and impersonation attempts targeting immigrants and international residents.