55 Lakh Mobile Numbers Disconnected: How Is The Government Tackling Spam Calls?

Spam calls and unwanted communications have become a concern for mobile users, while telecom connections are also being misused for digital and financial fraud. The government has been taking several measures to address these issues, including identifying suspicious mobile connections and improving coordination between telecom operators and financial institutions.

As part of these efforts, the government has disconnected around 55-56 lakh mobile numbers through the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) Sanchar Saathi initiative.

According to ANI, citing government sources, daily spam calls in India have declined by 99 per cent from around 3.5 crore earlier. Government sources said the telecom ecosystem’s anti-fraud measures are now delivering results at scale.

How Is The Government Identifying Callers And Tackling Spam Calls?

One of the measures introduced to help mobile users identify incoming callers is Calling Name Presentation (CNAP). The facility allows subscribers using 4G and newer networks to see the name of the caller when they receive a call. This is aimed at helping users identify incoming calls.

The government is also using the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) to bring different stakeholders together to tackle digital and financial fraud. The platform currently has around 1,600-1,800 stakeholders on board, including banks, financial institutions, telecom operators and law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

The platform brings these stakeholders together to coordinate efforts against digital and financial fraud. Officials said, “On cybersecurity and securing the interests of our customers, we are on the front line.”

The Sanchar Saathi initiative has also seen public adoption. According to government sources, the portal has recorded nearly 35 crore hits, while its mobile application has been downloaded around 3.5-4 crore times.

How Is The Government Preventing Financial Frauds?

Another measure being used to identify potential financial fraud is the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI). ANI reported that the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) has been mandated by the Reserve Bank of India for all financial institutions.

Through FRI, crores of bank accounts have been flagged, helping financial institutions identify potential fraud risks and prevent suspicious transactions before they take place.

Government sources said the use of the indicator has helped prevent fraud worth nearly Rs 6,500 crore before the transactions could occur.

The government has maintained that protecting telecom users and strengthening cybersecurity remain key priorities. Referring to its position on telecom cybersecurity, an official said, “We will not compromise on that.”