The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has blocked more than 2 crore mobile connections linked to fraudulent activities and successfully reduced spoof calls by 97 per cent, DoT Secretary Dr Neeraj Mittal said on Wednesday.
Mittal was addressing the annual West Zone Conference on security-related matters, organised by the DoT in South Goa. Speaking via video link, he highlighted key achievements in the telecom sector’s efforts to curb cyber fraud.
He credited the sharp decline in spoof calls to the government’s Sanchar Saathi initiative, a platform designed to counter misuse of telecom services. Spoof calls, in which scammers manipulate caller ID information to conceal their identity, have long posed a challenge to regulators and users alike.
Mittal said that along with Sanchar Saathi, the DoT has also developed a Digital Intelligence Platform to crowdsource information on fraud, particularly financial scams.
The platform enables banks and financial institutions to share and access data on emerging threats, strengthening the security of the digital ecosystem.
Highlighting the growing importance of telecom, Mittal noted that while the number of users has risen sharply, misuse of telecom resources, especially in financial fraud, has also increased. To counter this, the department has launched several initiatives to bolster cybersecurity.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has played a crucial role, he said, in identifying and eliminating fraud. With its help, the DoT has disconnected 78 lakh fake mobile connections and shut down 71,000 fraudulent retail points of sale.
The department is also expanding its network of telecom testing labs to ensure that only certified and high-quality telecom equipment is deployed across the country.
Also Read : DoT launches Sanchar Saathi app to tackle telecom fraud
In another significant step, the DoT has introduced a Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, developed in collaboration with its partners. This tool enables authorities to detect mobile numbers linked to financial fraud more effectively.
Mittal further announced that the DoT is working to upgrade the Centralised Monitoring System (CMS) to keep pace with evolving cyber threats and enhance real-time surveillance capabilities.
The department is also collaborating with private players to strengthen sector-specific and application-level security, ensuring that India’s telecom infrastructure remains resilient and trustworthy.
With these measures, Mittal said, the DoT aims to create a safer and more reliable digital environment for millions of mobile users across the country.
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