Centre cracks down on spoofed international calls: 20+ carriers blocked
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New Delhi: The government has launched a robust initiative to combat the growing menace of international spoofed calls, significantly reducing such calls to approximately 4 lakh per day. These calls, manipulated to display Indian mobile numbers (+91-xxxxx), have been a tool for fraudsters engaging in cybercrimes and financial scams.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with telecom service providers (TSPs), has rolled out an indigenously-developed International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System. This system, within 24 hours of its implementation, successfully blocked nearly 1.35 crore spoofed calls, effectively tackling 90% of the identified spoofed traffic.
Previously, fraudsters used international spoofed calls to deceive Indian citizens by making calls appear as if originating domestically. These calls were manipulated using a technique known as Calling Line Identity (CLI) spoofing. Following the system’s success, scammers shifted tactics to using international numbers for spoofing.
To address this, the DoT has mandated TSPs to display “International Call” on all incoming calls from outside India. This measure helps citizens identify calls that cannot originate from official Indian agencies such as DoT, TRAI, RBI, police, customs, or UIDAI. Major providers, including Airtel, have implemented this feature, with others following suit.
In addition to this, Indian telcos have blocked over 20 foreign carriers or aggregators identified as repeatedly transmitting spoofed calls to India. Airtel and BSNL are among the service providers taking action to safeguard Indian users.
The government’s efforts also include the 'Sanchar Saathi App', designed to streamline reporting of fraudulent calls. This app allows users to easily flag suspicious communications directly from their mobile call logs, enhancing the public's ability to combat fraud.
The Ministry of Communications emphasized that these measures form part of a larger strategy to curb cybercrimes linked to international spoofed calls, ensuring greater security for Indian citizens and their data.
With IANS inputs