Inside India’s scariest scam — and how to stop it

On a hot and humid August morning last year, Biren Yadav was alone at his home in Gurugram, a New Delhi suburb, when his phone rang. The call was from a woman claiming to represent the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The caller seemed to know everything about Yadav, a 77-year-old former Indian Air Force officer. She read out his address, national ID and tax account number — all correctly. “One of your phones is transmitting antinational messages,” said the caller. “Unless the cyberpolice clears your name, we have to freeze all your numbers.”