Government agencies say 8.2 million fake connections disabled since 2023
Kanpur — In one of its most sweeping actions against digital fraud, India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has shut down more than 100,000 SIM cards this year that were being used by organized cybercrime networks. Officials say that since 2023, nearly 8.2 million fraudulent connections have been deactivated nationwide.
Authorities found that criminal groups routinely acquired SIM cards with forged or stolen identity documents. In many cases, a single identity was used to activate hundreds of connections, which were then deployed for banking scams, phishing calls and online fraud.
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A Widening Problem
Investigations revealed that cybercriminals exploited weak verification processes to obtain SIM cards in bulk. Some identities were linked to as many as 200 active numbers. These numbers were later used to deceive unsuspecting customers through fraudulent call centers, fake loan offers and OTP theft.
Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) and Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAF-COP) flagged these connections, enabling law enforcement agencies to move quickly against them.
Official Response
Arun Kumar Verma, Director of Licensed Services in Uttar Pradesh, said the government is sharing lists of blocked SIMs with operators and enforcement bodies. “Our goal is to eliminate fraudulent connections entirely. Any number found linked to criminal activity will be immediately disabled,” Mr. Verma said.
Expert View
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh called SIM-based fraud “the biggest digital security threat India faces today.”
“Criminals exploit gaps in verification to acquire hundreds of SIMs, which then fuel large-scale scams. Once these numbers fall into organized networks, they are used for phishing, OTP theft and financial fraud. Blocking them is essential, but the real solution lies in moving to a fully biometric and digital verification system. Without that, fraudsters will always find new loopholes,” Prof. Singh said.
The Next Phase
The government is also introducing a new fraud risk indicator system, designed to alert banks, financial institutions and police when suspicious activity is detected. Officials say this coordination will help prevent scams before they reach victims.
Experts agree that the measure weakens criminal networks, but warn that awareness among citizens remains crucial. Technology, they say, evolves as fast as crime does.