The government announced on Sunday its steps to tackle incoming international spoofed calls showing Indian mobile numbers. These calls, made by cybercriminals from abroad, deceive Indian citizens, leading to cyber-crime and financial frauds.
The fraudsters manipulate the calling line identity (CLI), making the calls seem to originate within India. These spoofed calls have been misused in various scams, including fake digital arrests, FedEx scams, and impersonation as government and police officials.
Blocking Measures Implemented
In response, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have collaborated to develop a system to detect and prevent these international spoofed calls from reaching Indian telecom subscribers.
Directives have been issued to TSPs to block such incoming international spoofed calls promptly. Additionally, TSPs are already blocking incoming international spoofed calls with Indian landline numbers, following prior directives from the DoT, the press release noted.
Prioritizing User Safety
The government emphasizes user safety, a crucial aspect of the Digital India vision. Various initiatives, including the citizen-centric Sanchar Saathi portal, aim to protect telecom users.
Since its launch in May last year, the Sanchar Saathi portal enables users to track lost phones, block them, and report identity theft. It has already traced over 700,000 phones and detected 6.7 million suspicious communication attempts.
Reporting Suspicious Communications
Despite preventive measures, some fraudsters may still succeed through alternative methods.
The press release urges people to report suspected fraud communications at the Chakshu facility on Sanchar Saathi, helping protect others from scams and cyber-crimes.