DoT blocks 2 crore fraudulent mobile connections, reports 97% drop in spoof calls

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has successfully terminated over 20 million mobile connections associated with fraudulent activities, resulting in an impressive 97% decline in spoof calls. This significant achievement was highlighted by DoT Secretary Dr. Neeraj Mittal during his address at the annual West Zone Conference focused on security issues, which took place in South Goa. Dr. Mittal attributed this success to the Sanchar Saathi initiative, a dedicated platform aimed at identifying and preventing the misuse of telecom services. "The manipulation of caller IDs for fraudulent purposes, known as spoof calls, has seen a dramatic reduction of 97% thanks to the Sanchar Saathi initiative," he explained during a video link presentation. In addition to this, the DoT has introduced a Digital Intelligence Platform to facilitate banks and financial institutions in sharing and accessing data related to fraud, thereby enhancing defenses against financial scams. Despite the rapid growth of India’s telecom subscriber base, Dr. Mittal pointed out that the misuse of telecom resources for financial fraud has also surged. To combat this trend, the DoT is fortifying its cybersecurity framework with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI). AI-driven initiatives have already resulted in the disconnection of 7.8 million fraudulent mobile connections and the identification of 71,000 illegitimate retail points of sale. Dr. Mittal emphasized, "The integration of AI has been vital in our efforts to detect fraud and secure telecom infrastructure." Among other critical measures announced were the expansion of telecom testing laboratories to certify secure equipment, the launch of a Financial Fraud Risk Indicator to flag suspicious numbers, upgrades to the Centralised Monitoring System (CMS) for enhanced real-time surveillance, and partnerships with private companies to develop application-level and sector-specific security solutions.