Government Cracks Down on International Spoofed Calls

The government has alerted telecom users to beware of unfamiliar international calls, urging mobile providers to tag such calls. After launching a spoofed call prevention system, 90% of spoofed calls were blocked. The fraudsters have shifted tactics, using non-Indian numbers, prompting further advisories.

The government has raised alarms regarding unfamiliar international calls, advising telecom subscribers to exercise caution. In a recent directive, mobile service providers have been urged to tag such calls, enhancing customer awareness of potential threats.

Within 24 hours of the deployment of the International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System, telecom service providers successfully identified and blocked 90% of incoming spoofed international calls disguised with Indian numbers. This has forced fraudsters to adapt their tactics, utilizing international numbers instead.

To combat this, the DoT has established a dedicated task force. One telecommunication service provider, Airtel, has already begun implementing a solution to display 'International Call' for calls originating from abroad. Other providers are assessing the technical feasibility of this recommendation.

(With inputs from agencies.)