The government has disconnected 39.43 lakh mobile connections, blacklisted 2.27 lakh mobile handsets, and blacklisted 1.31 lakh SMS templates in India to combat cyber-crimes and financial frauds. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) introduced the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) to curb the misuse of telecom resources in such crimes, as stated by Minister of State for Communications, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, in response to a query in the Rajya Sabha. The DoT’s Sanchar Saathi initiative, accessible through a web portal and Mobile App, aims to empower citizens in reporting suspected fraud communications under various categories.
Chakshu facility of Sanchar Saathi allows citizens to report suspected fraud communications, enabling vigilant reporting of attempted frauds. The ‘Sanchar Saathi’ initiative encourages citizens to report suspected fraud communications, particularly cases where fraud attempts were made but not successfully executed. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), an organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), handles cases involving actual financial losses due to frauds, following the allocation of business rules.
The minister highlighted that actions are typically taken after providing mobile users with an opportunity for re-verification. Details of the actions taken based on analysis are accessible on the Sanchar Saathi portal dashboard. With over 7.7 lakh inputs from citizens, 39.43 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected, 2.27 lakh mobile handsets blacklisted, and 1.31 lakh SMS templates blacklisted. Based on information shared on DIP, stakeholders initiate necessary actions according to their analysis on associated accounts/profiles in their respective domains.
Stakeholders have reported that the total fraud amount prevented through FRI exceeds Rs 1,000 crore, considering transaction declines and alerts/notifications issued to citizens. Additionally, WhatsApp has disengaged 28 lakh profiles/accounts linked to shared mobile numbers.
