Department of Telecommunications Launches System to Combat International Spoofed Calls and Protect Citizens

Department of Telecommunications Launches System to Combat International Spoofed Calls and Protect Citizens

In response to the rising incidents of cyber fraud, particularly highlighted by a recent fraudulent call case in Agra, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced on Friday the implementation of a new system aimed at identifying and blocking international spoofed calls before they reach Indian telecom subscribers. Following the unfortunate incident, the DoT confirmed that the WhatsApp account associated with the fraudulent mobile number has been deactivated.

The DoT urges citizens to report any suspected fraudulent messages or calls through the Chakshu portal at http://sancharsaathi.gov.in. This new initiative, developed in collaboration with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), is designed to enhance security within the telecommunications ecosystem and protect users from deceptive practices.

The rollout of this advanced system is taking place in two phases. The first phase focuses on individual TSPs, working to prevent calls spoofed with the numbers of their own subscribers. The second phase will establish a centralized system to block calls spoofed with numbers from other TSPs.

Currently, all four major TSPs in India have successfully implemented this system, which is reported to have blocked approximately one-third of total spoofed calls, amounting to around 4.5 million calls. The DoT has indicated that the next phase of this initiative will be launched shortly, aiming to eliminate the remaining spoofed calls across all service providers.

Despite these proactive measures, fraudsters continue to evolve their tactics to deceive the public. In light of this ongoing threat, the DoT is committed to implementing timely and effective strategies to safeguard telecom users. The department emphasizes that even with these robust systems in place, there may still be instances where fraudsters successfully exploit other vulnerabilities.

To further enhance user safety, the DoT encourages citizens to actively report any suspected fraudulent communications. Such reports are vital for identifying and preventing the misuse of telecom resources, combatting cyber-crime, and protecting individuals from impersonation and exploitation.

Citizens can utilize the Chakshu facility available on the Sanchar Saathi platform at https://sancharsaathi.gov.in to report suspicious calls, SMS, and WhatsApp messages. When reporting, users should provide relevant details including screenshots, the medium of receipt, the category of intended fraud, and the date and time of receiving the communication. An OTP-based verification process will be implemented to validate the reports submitted by users.