The Department of Telecommunications has blocked more than 20 million mobile connections linked to fraudulent activities and achieved a 97 percent reduction in spoof calls, according to DoT Secretary Dr Neeraj Mittal. Speaking at the annual West Zone Conference on security-related matters, Mittal credited the success to the Sanchar Saathi initiative, a government platform designed to combat telecom misuse.
Spoof calls, which involve manipulation of caller ID to deceive recipients, have been significantly curtailed through targeted interventions. In addition to Sanchar Saathi, the department has developed a Digital Intelligence Platform to crowdsource fraud-related data, particularly in the financial sector. This platform enables banks and financial institutions to share and access real-time information on scams, enhancing the security of the digital ecosystem.
Mittal highlighted the growing misuse of telecom services in financial fraud and outlined the department’s multi-pronged strategy to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure. Artificial intelligence has played a key role in identifying and eliminating threats, leading to the disconnection of 7.8 million fake mobile connections and 71,000 fraudulent retail points of sale.
The DoT is expanding its network of telecom testing labs to ensure certified equipment is deployed nationwide. A Financial Fraud Risk Indicator has also been introduced to detect mobile numbers involved in financial scams more effectively.
Mittal announced that the Centralised Monitoring System is being upgraded to counter modern cyber threats and improve real-time surveillance. The department is actively collaborating with private sector partners to enhance application-level and sector-specific security, aiming to build a resilient and trustworthy telecom infrastructure for millions of users across India.
