The Union government has introduced a new spam-tracking system designed to detect and block international calls that falsely appear as Indian phone numbers.
Within just 24 hours of its launch, the system successfully identified and blocked around 1.35 crore spoofed calls—90% of all incoming international calls posing as Indian numbers—preventing them from reaching Indian telecom subscribers.
Unveiling the ‘International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System’, Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia highlighted the initiative as a key government measure to create a safer digital environment and protect citizens from cybercrime. With the system in place, Indian telecom users can expect a significant reduction in spoofed calls appearing with +91 country codes.
Cybercriminals have been exploiting technology to make international spoofed calls that display Indian mobile numbers, tricking recipients into believing the calls originate domestically.
These manipulated calls, which alter the calling line identity (CLI), have been used for various fraudulent activities, including financial scams, impersonating government officials, and spreading fear. There have even been cases involving threats of mobile disconnection, fake arrests, drug-related scams, and impersonation of police officers.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with telecom service providers (TSPs), has developed this system to prevent these deceptive calls from reaching Indian users.
While the system is effective, the government warned that fraudsters may still find ways to bypass it. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious calls using the ‘Chakshu’ feature on the Sanchar Saathi platform. This new system marks another step by DoT in its ongoing efforts to safeguard citizens against cyber fraud.
- PIB
