Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has partnered with WhatsApp to extend ‘Scam Se Bacho,’ Meta’s safety campaign against online scams and spam. Both parties will work together on conducting workshops, spreading informative assets through WhatsApp, and more to spread awareness of digital scams.
Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Meta met the Union Minister of Communication and Development of North East Region, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia today and discussed the effectiveness of the ongoing collaboration of DoT and Meta.
The initiative will include train-the-trainer workshops for DoT officials, Sanchar Mitras, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), and field units. WhatsApp will also work with DoT to explore ways to build citizen-centric services of Sanchar Saathi initiatives through the WhatsApp platform for a wider reach of Sanchar Saathi.
Sanchar Saathi portal empowers citizens to report suspected fraud calls/messages, know their mobile connections and Block & Trace lost/ stolen mobile handsets among other facilities. WhatsApp will develop informative assets in collaboration with DoT to educate users on how to identify and report online scams and spam through this portal.
DoT also assured that these informative assets will be translated into regional languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Gujarati to maximize accessibility.
Commenting on the partnership, the Union Minister of Communication and Development of North East Region, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia said,
As India advances on its path of digital transformation, ensuring the safety and security of our citizens remains a top priority. Our partnership with Meta strengthens this commitment to protect our people from fraudulent communications and cyber threats. By harnessing WhatsApp’s vast digital reach, we are strengthening efforts to ensure that our digital ecosystem remains secure and resilient for all.
Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Meta, said,
The best way to stop people falling victim to scams and online fraud is to make sure they know what to look out for and what they can do to stay safe. That’s why Meta invests a great deal in technology and resources to try and stay ahead of the scammers and give people the information they need. By working with the Department of Telecommunications, we can combine our technological expertise with the government’s commitment to citizen safety and help give Indians the knowledge they need to stay safe.