Caller pretends to be an Election Commission officer verifying your voter ID and asks for your OTP
Fraudsters pose as ECI officials or Booth Level Officers during the SIR-2026 voter roll revision, saying they need your OTP to update your voter entry. The OTP is used to drain your bank account. ECI never asks for an OTP.
Also known as: SIR 2026 OTP scam, voter list verification fraud, BLO impersonation scam, electoral roll OTP fraud, Election Commission verification scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
What to do right now
- 1 Disconnect the call immediately — the ECI, BLOs, and election department officials never ask for OTPs over the phone
- 2 Do not share any OTP, bank detail, UPI PIN, or Aadhaar number with anyone calling about voter list verification
- 3 If you already shared an OTP, call your bank's fraud helpline immediately to block your account and UPI
- 4 Verify your voter entry directly on the ECI portal (voters.eci.gov.in) — no phone call or OTP is needed
- 5 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Red flags
- ⚠ The Election Commission of India and Booth Level Officers never ask for an OTP at any stage of voter roll revision
- ⚠ The SIR-2026 process is conducted by enumerators visiting households — no OTP or app is ever required
- ⚠ Any caller claiming to be an ECI/BLO official and asking for an OTP is impersonating a government official
- ⚠ Scammers often know your name and constituency, creating false legitimacy — this information is in public voter rolls
- ⚠ After you share the OTP, your bank account or UPI is drained within minutes
Sources
- Telangana Tribune — Hyderabad Police Warn Against SIR-2026 Cyber Scam Targeting Voters' OTPs
- Munsif Daily — SIR OTP Scam Alert: Fraudsters Target Voters in Hyderabad
- NewsX — SIR Scam in West Bengal: Election Commission Issues Warning
- Andhra Prabha — OTP చెప్పొద్దని పోలీసుల హెచ్చరిక (Police warn voters on OTP scam)
- Telangana Today — Hyderabad Police Warn Voters Against OTP Fraud During SIR-2026 Drive (July 2026)