A Modern Scam Using Classic Phone Technology
By Greg Collier
There was a time when dialing a few numbers on your landline could activate all kinds of convenient features. Remember *69? It was the go-to for identifying the last caller. *67 was every prankster’s friend, temporarily blocking your number from showing up on caller ID. Those star codes were an early taste of what we now take for granted with smartphones, quick shortcuts to control how our calls worked. Although landlines may have largely faded from daily use, some of these codes remain, quietly embedded into mobile networks today. But what was once a helpful feature is now being exploited in a way few would expect.
Among the lingering * codes are *72 and **21, both still active in many cellular services. They allow users to forward calls from their phone to another number. It’s a practical function if you’re traveling or temporarily want another person to handle your calls. However, what was designed for convenience has become a tool for deception. Scammers have found ways to manipulate these codes to steal personal information and commit financial fraud, taking advantage of the trust we place in what feels familiar.
Imagine receiving a phone call from someone posing as a representative from your bank, with just enough personal details to sound legitimate. They warn you about an urgent issue with your account and offer a quick solution: dial *72, followed by a ten-digit number, to ‘secure’ your line from suspicious activity. It sounds easy enough, and in the moment, with alarm bells ringing in your head, you might not think twice. But what actually happens when you follow those instructions?
That simple string of numbers forwards all your incoming calls to a number controlled by the scammer. This means every call you receive, whether it’s a friend checking in or your bank calling to verify a suspicious transaction, gets rerouted. Worse still, if a scammer intercepts a call that contains a two-factor authentication code or a password reset link, they can easily access your financial accounts, email, or other sensitive platforms. The process is invisible to the victim, who only realizes too late that they’ve been locked out of their own information.
If you find yourself in this situation, the good news is that turning off call forwarding is straightforward. On Verizon, dialing *73 disables it, while T-Mobile users can enter ##21#. But as with most scams, prevention is key. Awareness of these old * codes and how they can be abused today is essential to avoiding trouble.
The lingering presence of these codes on modern networks serves as a reminder that even outdated technology can become a liability. Just as those old landline tricks once helped us control our phones, they now provide a pathway for modern criminals. The tools may be familiar, but the way they’re being used today is anything but.
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