Cyber Crime
Combatting Cyber Frauds: Centre Unveils Advanced System to Detect and Block International Spoofed Calls
Regarding the unfortunate occurrence of a fraudulent call in Agra the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced on Friday that the fraudulent WhatsApp account linked to a scam call in Agra has been deactivated. The DoT urged citizens to report any suspicious messages or calls via the Chakshu portal at http://sancharsaathi.gov.in.
In response to the increasing threat of such scams, the DoT, in collaboration with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), has introduced a sophisticated system aimed at detecting and blocking international spoofed calls before they reach Indian users. This system is being rolled out in two stages: initially at the TSP level to stop calls spoofed with numbers belonging to their own subscribers, and later at a central level to block spoofed calls using numbers from other TSPs.
As of now, all four major TSPs have successfully deployed the system, preventing roughly one-third, or 4.5 million, of spoofed calls from entering India’s telecom network. The next phase, which involves a centralized mechanism to block all remaining spoofed calls, is expected to go live soon.
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Despite these efforts, fraudsters continue to find new ways to deceive the public. The DoT is actively responding to these emerging threats by enhancing safeguards. However, they acknowledge that some scams may still occur despite the robust security measures in place. In such cases, the department encourages citizens to promptly report suspected fraudulent communications, helping identify and prevent further misuse of telecom resources in cybercrimes and financial scams.
By reporting suspected fraud via the Chakshu feature on the Sanchar Saathi platform, citizens can assist in safeguarding against identity theft, exploitation, and other forms of cybercrime. Reports can be submitted by providing details such as screenshots, the medium of communication, the type of scam, and the time and date of the suspicious contact. The submission process includes OTP-based verification for added security.