13.6 Million Mobile Numbers Disconnected in Telecom Fraud Crackdown: Scindia

SRINAGAR: Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya M Scindia on Wednesday said the government has disconnected over 13.6 million mobile numbers to curb telecom fraud.

Scindia, while responding to questions from Members of Parliament, informed the Lok Sabha that the government has addressed key concerns related to telecom fraud.

Outlining ongoing efforts to prevent cyber frauds, the Union Minister said the Government of India has launched a series of decisive, tech-enabled measures under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in close coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs. “As part of this initiative, a Digital Intelligence Platform has been developed, bringing together 620 institutions including 570 banks, 36 state police forces, investigative agencies, and telecom service providers, to jointly tackle fraud in real time. The platform enables integrated action against scammers and cyber criminals who misuse telecom infrastructure to deceive citizens,” he said.

The Minister added that to further involve the public in this mission, the government launched the Sanchar Saathi portal on May 16, 2023, which has since recorded over 15.5 crore visits, indicating strong public engagement. “Building on this, the Sanchar Saathi mobile app was launched on January 17, 2025, for both Android and iOS platforms, and has received over 44 lakh downloads,” he said, adding, “Through the combined inputs of these platforms, DoT has blocked 5.5 lakh handsets and deactivated 20,000 bulk SMS senders. Nearly 24 lakh WhatsApp accounts involved in suspicious activities have also been disengaged.”

A key feature introduced is the Know Your Mobile Connections service, which allows users to check all numbers issued under their name and report any unauthorised connections. This has led to the disconnection of 1.36 crore such numbers.

The Minister added that artificial intelligence tools, notably the ASTR system, have been deployed to automatically detect and eliminate fake mobile numbers—leading to the disconnection of an additional 82 lakh connections. To tackle international spoof calls, where foreign numbers appear as Indian calls, the DoT introduced a centralised software solution under the International Incoming Spoof Calls Prevention initiative. “On the first day, 1.35 crore spoof calls were blocked, and ongoing efforts have reduced such incidents by 97 percent. Today, only about three lakh spoof calls are being detected daily compared to the earlier massive volumes. Telecom operators have also been directed to display ‘International Call’ alerts on all such numbers for user awareness,” he said.

In what he called a significant technological advancement, the Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) system was introduced to assess user risk levels—Very High, High, or Medium—based on banking and transaction behaviour. This risk data is shared with banks in real time to help prevent suspicious transactions. Over 3.7 lakh individuals have been flagged, leading to the prevention of over 3.04 lakh debit and credit instructions and the freezing of 1.55 lakh bank accounts. “Recognising its effectiveness, the Reserve Bank of India has directed all banks to integrate FRI into their internal systems,” Scindia said.

The DoT has also acted against the misuse of Indian SIMs operating from Southeast Asian countries. Over 26 lakh roaming connections have been disconnected, and nearly 1.3 lakh devices used in such scams have been blocked. Scindia said these actions reflect the government’s strong commitment to safeguarding citizens, securing telecom networks, and building a digitally secure India. He urged citizens to remain vigilant and actively use the Sanchar Saathi platform and app to report suspicious activity and monitor their connections.

Regarding public sector telecom undertakings, Scindia said BSNL has increased its subscriber base from 8.55 crore to 9.1 crore in the past fiscal year. The growth follows the implementation of a Rs 3.22 lakh crore revival package sanctioned over the past three years. Each of BSNL’s 32 telecom circles is now preparing its own business plan under a decentralised strategy.

The Ministry has also conducted a 12-hour Strategy and Business Development Session 2025–26 with all Chief General Managers—an unprecedented move in the sector’s history.

The Minister also highlighted India’s successful development of an indigenous 4G technology stack. The core software has been developed by C-DoT, while Tejas Networks is manufacturing the radio access network hardware. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is handling system integration. Of the 95,000 towers sanctioned for rollout, 75,000 are already operational with Rs 20,000 crore in capital expenditure invested. BSNL’s 4G services are now live and undergoing optimisation, with a transition to 5G planned in the next phase. (KNO)