DoT Cracks Down on International Spoofed Calls to Combat Cybercrime

New Delhi: Reports have surfaced that fraudsters are making international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers to commit cyber-crime and financial fraud against Indian citizens. These calls appear to originate within India but are actually made by cyber-criminals abroad, who manipulate the calling line identity (CLI). Recent scams involving such spoofed calls include fake digital arrests, FedEx scams, drugs/narcotics in couriers, and impersonations of government and police officials, as well as threats of mobile disconnections by purported DoT/TRAI officials.

In response, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have implemented a system to identify and block these international spoofed calls from reaching Indian telecom subscribers. TSPs have been directed to block such incoming international spoofed calls to protect users.

The blocking of incoming international spoofed calls with Indian landline numbers has already been enforced by TSPs following DoT directives.

As part of the vision of Digital India, which prioritizes user safety and security, DoT has launched several initiatives, including the citizen-centric Sanchar Saathi portal (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/), to protect telecom users.

Despite these efforts, some fraudsters may still manage to succeed through other means. Users can contribute to combating such fraud by reporting suspected fraudulent communications via the Chakshu facility on the Sanchar Saathi portal.