Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has developed Sanchar Saathi portal (www.sancharsaathi.gov.in) to empower citizens which, inter-alia, has the Chakshu facility to report suspected fraud communications & Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC). Based on the reports of suspected fraud communications, DoT act on the mobile connections, mobile handsets, bulk SMS senders and WhatsApp accounts. UCC reports are sent to Telecom Operators to act as per Telecom Commercial Communications Customer’s Preference Regulations (TCCCPR-2018).

DoT and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have developed Prevention of Spoofed Incoming International System to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls which display Indian mobile numbers and appear to be originating from within India. Such international spoofed calls have been made by cyber-criminals in recent cases of fake digital arrests, FedEx scams, and impersonation as government and police officials, etc. Further, following steps are taken by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to address UCC:

1. TCCCPR-2018 of TRAI has provisions where a telecom subscriber can opt to block all commercial communications or can selectively block commercial communications as per preference categories and register complaint against Senders of UCC through Mobile App, sending SMS to short code 1909 and calling on 1909.

2. Blacklisting of Registered Entities and Telemarketers for violation of TCCCPR-2018.

3. Action against Unregistered Telemarketer (UTM) such as giving a warning, putting them under Usage Cap or disconnecting in case of repeated violations.

4. Directives to disconnect all telecom resources of unregistered Senders for making spam calls and to blacklist such Senders.

5. Financial Disincentives (FDs) against the Access Providers for failing to curb UCC.

DoT has notified Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 on 21.11.2024 which also have provisions that no person shall endanger telecom cyber security, inter-alia, by fraud, cheating or personation; transmitting any message which is fraudulent; committing or intending to commit any security incident.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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SB/DP/ARJ