DoT blocks 2 crore fraudulent mobile connections, reports 97% drop in spoof calls

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has blocked more than 2 crore mobile connections linked to fraudulent activities, leading to a 97 per cent reduction in spoof calls, DoT Secretary Dr. Neeraj Mittal said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the annual West Zone Conference on security-related matters, held in South Goa, Dr. Mittal highlighted the government’s achievements in combating telecom-related fraud. He credited the success largely to the Sanchar Saathi initiative, a platform designed to detect and prevent misuse of telecom services.

“Spoof calls, where scammers manipulate caller IDs to commit fraud, have been cut by 97 per cent thanks to Sanchar Saathi,” Dr. Mittal said in his address via video link.

The department has also rolled out a Digital Intelligence Platform to help banks and financial institutions share and access fraud-related data, improving protection against financial scams.

Dr. Mittal noted that while India’s telecom subscriber base is growing rapidly, the misuse of telecom resources in financial fraud has also increased. To counter this, DoT is strengthening its cybersecurity infrastructure with artificial intelligence (AI) at its core.

According to him, AI-driven checks have already led to the disconnection of 78 lakh fake mobile connections and 71,000 fraudulent retail points of sale. “The use of AI has been crucial in helping us detect fraud and secure telecom infrastructure,” Dr. Mittal added.

Other key measures include:

    •    Expansion of telecom testing labs to ensure certified and secure equipment.
    •    Introduction of a Financial Fraud Risk Indicator to identify suspicious numbers.
    •    Upgrading of the Centralised Monitoring System (CMS) for real-time surveillance.
    •    Collaboration with private players to build application-level and sector-specific security.