Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Office of the Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has cautioned voters about a rising scam in which fraudsters impersonate Election Commission personnel to trick people into sharing OTPs under the pretext of assisting with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to the CEO, the con artists are calling voters while claiming to be Block Level Officers (BLOs) and insisting that an OTP is required to “verify” details submitted in SIR enumeration forms. The warning makes it clear that this ploy is aimed at gaining access to victims’ bank accounts.
“The Election Commission never seeks OTPs from voters. Any such request is fraudulent. People should refuse to share OTPs and immediately alert the police,” the CEO stated. Officials emphasised that providing a mobile number during the SIR process is secure; the danger arises only if an OTP is disclosed.
Meanwhile, the SIR exercise has recorded strong public engagement. As of 4 pm on Monday, BLOs had collected 8,81,657 enumeration forms — representing 74.40 per cent of Goa’s 11,85,034 electors. The statewide verification drive began on October 27.
The CEO further reminded citizens that knowingly submitting forms for deceased individuals, for persons who are no longer Indian citizens, or in cases where one’s name appears more than once in the voter list, constitutes a punishable offence under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
The draft voter list is scheduled for release on December 9, after which corrections can be sought. Claims and objections will be accepted from December 9 to January 8, 2026, with hearings, notices and verifications continuing until January 31.
