In a move to combat the growing threat of cybercrime, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued an advisory to mobile users warning them to remain vigilant against fake calls threatening to disconnect their numbers.
According to the advisory, the callers often pose as government officials or impersonate foreign numbers, particularly those with +92 codes on WhatsApp. They try to coerce individuals into divulging personal information, potentially leading to financial fraud or identity theft.
The DoT clarified that neither the department nor the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has authorized such calls on their behalf. To effectively address these threats, citizens are urged to report any suspected fraud communications through the ‘Chakshu – Report Suspected Fraud Communications’ facility on the Sanchar Saathi portal.
In the unfortunate event of falling victim to cybercrimes or financial frauds, individuals are advised to promptly contact the cyber-crime helpline at 1930 or visit the official website www.cybercrime.gov.in.
The DoT has taken several steps to address suspected fraud communications and combat cybercrime activities, including blacklisting 52 Principal Entities responsible for sending malicious and phishing SMSs, deactivating 700 SMS content templates to prevent fraudulent activities, and blacklisting 348 mobile handsets across all telecom operators on a pan-India basis.