Telecom Ministry's Huge Action Against Cyber Frauds: 2.17 Crore Mobile Connections, 2.26 Lakh Handsets Set To Be Blocked

In a huge action against increasing cyberfrauds, the Union Ministry of Telecommunications has to disconnect approximately 2.17 crore mobile connections and block 2.26 lakh mobile handsets.

Informing the Centre’s high-level inter-ministerial panel, the Ministry said that these connections were obtained using forged documents, exceeding prescribed limits, or are being misused in cybercrime.

Earlier this month, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) reportedly shared this information during a meeting convened by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Indian Express reported.

Officials from the Bureau of Immigration, Financial Intelligence Unit, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), security experts from various agencies, and senior officials from all states and Union Territories were also present.

During a three-hour meeting, the DoT outlined several measures aimed at effectively implementing Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols for SIM card procurement. This comes in the backdrop of around 1 lakh cyber complaints have been registered with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal since January 2023.

In May, the DoT directed telecom operators to block all incoming international spoofed calls that display Indian mobile numbers. The telecom ministry has indicated that approximately 35 per cent of incoming international calls are currently being dropped, with full implementation expected by 31 December of this year.

During the meeting, the DoT also stated that all telecom service providers (TSPs) have been instructed to report weekly on Indian mobile numbers roaming in Southeast Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and Myanmar.

According to DoT data, over 6 lakh Indian SIM cards were roaming in Southeast Asia from April to June this year, with more than 1.4 lakh point of sale (PoS) agents selling these SIM cards across India.

State and Union Territory police have been urged to take appropriate legal action against these agents for their alleged involvement in selling SIM cards that are subsequently used in scam operations in Southeast Asia.

Analysis by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, revealed a rise in cybercrimes targeting Indians, with approximately 45 per cent originating from the Southeast Asia region.