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Telecommunications Ministry cuts 21.7 million mobile connections in connection with fraud | News

Telecommunications Ministry cuts 21.7 million mobile connections in connection with fraud | News

3 minutes read Last update: September 30, 2024 | 3:05 p.m IS

According to a report by , the Union Telecom Ministry has informed the Centre’s high-level inter-ministerial panel about plans to disconnect around 21.7 million mobile connections obtained using forged documents or related to cybercrime-related activities The Indian Express. In addition, around 226,000 cell phones will be blocked.

Earlier this month, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) shared this information during a meeting convened by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The meeting was attended by officials from 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) as well as security experts, various agencies and senior officials from all states and Union Territories participated, the report said.

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Over 5,000 Indians were believed to be stranded in Cambodia, allegedly held against their will and forced to take part in cyber fraud. Government estimates suggest that Indians lost at least 500 million rupees to fraud in the six months leading up to March this year. In response to these issues, the Center set up the inter-ministerial panel to study and identify the gaps contributing to these problems identified in the banking, immigration and telecommunications sectors, the report added.

During the meeting, the Telecommunications Department reported that it has implemented several initiatives to improve the effectiveness of Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols for SIM card purchases.

The report quoted a source as saying that the ministry is shutting down about 21.7 million mobile connections obtained through forged or forged documents, those exceeding the prescribed limits and those misused for cybercrimes or financial fraud.

International fake calls

In May, the DoT directed telecom operators to block all incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers. The source further added that the Telecommunications Ministry also pointed out that 35 percent of inbound international calls are currently blocked and full implementation is expected by December 31 this year.

At the meeting, the Defense Ministry said that in order to track roaming phone numbers linked to fraud operations in Southeast Asia, all telecommunications service providers (TSPs) have been directed to submit weekly data on Indian mobile phone numbers roaming in countries such as Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar.

The DoT reported that over 600,000 Indian SIM cards were in transit in the Southeast Asia region between April and June this year. There are more than 140,000 Point of Sale (PoS) agents selling these SIM cards across India. Authorities of all states and Union Territories have been asked to take appropriate legal action against PoS agents involved in selling these Indian SIM cards, which are reportedly being used in fraud operations in Southeast Asia.

A data analysis by the Indian Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Center (I4C), part of the MHA, has revealed a rise in cybercrimes against Indians, with about 45 percent of these crimes coming from the Southeast Asia region. Since January 2023, around 100,000 cyber complaints have been filed with the National Cyber ​​Crime Reporting Portal, the report said.

First published: September 30, 2024 | 3:05 p.m IS