In a proactive move against SMS scammers, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has joined forces with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to clamp down on fraudulent activities through the Sanchar Saathi initiative.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the MHA flagged the misuse of eight SMS Headers for perpetrating cyber-crime, prompting swift action from DoT. It was revealed that over 10,000 fraudulent messages had been dispatched using these headers within the past thre e months alone.
Taking decisive action, DoT blacklisted all eight Principal Entities (PEs) associated with the malicious SMS Headers, along with a total of 73 headers and 1522 SMS content templates owned by them. Consequently, none of these entities, headers, or templates can be utilized for sending SMS through any telecom operator, effectively halting further exploitation of citizens.
Emphasizing its commitment to citizen safety, DoT underscored the significance of reporting suspicious communications through the Chakshu facility on Sanchar Saathi. This collaborative effort aims to prevent the misuse of telecom resources for cyber-crime and financial frauds, safeguarding citizens from potential victimization.
Furthermore, DoT reiterated regulations regarding telemarketing SMSs/Calls, stressing the prohibition of mobile numbers for such activities. Consumers using their telephone connections for promotional messages risk disconnection upon the first complaint, with their details potentially blacklisted for up to two years. Telemarketing calls can be identified by specific prefixes, and spam can be reported via the dedicated hotline or the Do Not Disturb (DND) service.
