As part of a nationwide effort to tackle rising cyber-enabled frauds, experts at a major national conference have called on telecom service providers (TSPs) to reinforce customer verification procedures and work more closely with law enforcement and investigative agencies to help dismantle cybercriminal networks.
The recommendations were made during the two-day National Conference on Tackling Cyber-Enabled Frauds and Dismantling the Ecosystem, jointly organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi.
Why Strengthened Verification Matters
Cybersecurity experts, law enforcement officials, and industry stakeholders highlighted that the misuse of telecom infrastructure — including SIM cards, eSIMs and related services — remains a persistent enabler of cyber fraud. Fraudsters frequently exploit weak or inadequate verification controls to register SIMs, perform SIM swaps, or use telecommunications services in identity theft, phishing, social engineering and financial scam operations.
Participants stressed that robust verification at the point of enrolment — especially for mobile connections and identity credentials — can significantly reduce opportunities for criminals to launch scams that defraud individuals and businesses of their money.
Industry analysts also noted that the preservation of digital evidence and much-needed data sharing between telecom companies and law enforcement are critical to successful investigations and prosecutions of cybercrime. Faster access to call records, SIM data and authentication logs can help investigative agencies trace fraud networks more effectively.
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Conference Themes: Coordination, Data Sharing and AI Tools
The conference brought together about 375 delegates, including officials from law enforcement, finance, cybersecurity, regulatory bodies, technology platforms and telecom companies.
Discussions covered:
- the misuse of telecom infrastructure in cyber-enabled fraud,
- regulatory challenges related to authentication and verification, and
- the potential role of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics in strengthening investigations.
Experts also underscored the importance of inter-agency coordination between banks, telecom operators, and cybercrime units, as well as timely preservation of digital evidence to support prosecutions.
Proactive Support to Investigative Agencies
In addition to verification improvements, specialists emphasised that telecom firms need to take a more proactive role in supporting probes, rather than responding only after law enforcement requests. This cooperation includes:
- quick access to call and message metadata when authorised by law,
- procedures to preserve subscriber data under court orders, and
- collaborative threat intelligence sharing to pre-empt emerging fraud trends.
Authorities said that quicker telecom cooperation will help curb fraud networks using bulk SIM provisioning, SIM swaps and cloned connections, which have historically been exploited by organised groups for impersonation and financial fraud.
Government and Industry Response
Officials at the event indicated that the CBI and I4C will compile a detailed report of all recommendations discussed at the conference and submit it to the Ministry of Home Affairs for consideration in national cybercrime strategy and regulatory planning.
The emphasis on telecom verification also aligns with broader national efforts — such as initiatives to block fraudulent connections, implement digital verification improvements, and use intelligence platforms to detect suspicious activity early — that collectively aim to strengthen the digital ecosystem against cyber fraud and abuse.
About the author – Ayesha Aayat is a law student and contributor covering cybercrime, online frauds, and digital safety concerns. Her writing aims to raise awareness about evolving cyber threats and legal responses.
