New Delhi: The government has issued directions to block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers, following reports of cyber-crime and financial frauds perpetrated by fraudsters. These calls, originating abroad but appearing to be domestic, have been used in various scams targeting Indian citizens, such as fake digital arrests and impersonation as government officials.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have collaborated to implement a system to identify and block such spoofed calls from reaching Indian telecom subscribers. Additionally, TSPs are already blocking incoming international spoofed calls with Indian landline numbers as per DoT's instructions.

Ensuring the safety and security of users aligns with the vision of Digital India, and the DoT has undertaken several initiatives in this regard, including the citizen-centric Sanchar Saathi portal. Despite these efforts, fraudsters may still find ways to deceive individuals. To combat this, citizens are encouraged to report suspected fraud communications through the Chakshu facility on the Sanchar Saathi portal./BI