Over 2 crore fake mobile connections blocked, spoof calls drop by 97 per cent: DoT secretary

New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has blocked more than 2 crore mobile connections linked to fraudulent activities and brought down spoof calls by 97 per cent, DoT secretary Neeraj Mittal said on Wednesday.

Speaking via video link at the annual West Zone Conference on security matters in South Goa, Mittal credited the success to the government’s Sanchar Saathi initiative, which targets the misuse of telecom services. Spoof calls, in which fraudsters manipulate caller ID details to deceive recipients, have seen a sharp decline as a result.

Mittal said the department had also developed a Digital Intelligence Platform to crowdsource information on frauds, particularly in the financial sector. The platform enables banks and other financial institutions to share data on scams, strengthening digital security.

While noting the rapid rise in telecom subscribers, he highlighted the growing misuse of telecom networks in financial fraud. To counter this, the DoT has launched several measures to enhance cybersecurity infrastructure, with artificial intelligence playing a key role.

According to Mittal, AI has helped identify and disconnect 78 lakh fake mobile connections and 71,000 fraudulent retail points of sale. The department is also expanding its network of telecom testing labs to ensure only certified equipment is deployed nationwide.

In addition, a Financial Fraud Risk Indicator has been introduced in collaboration with partners to detect mobile numbers used in scams. The DoT is also upgrading its Centralized Monitoring System to address evolving cyber threats and strengthen real-time surveillance.

Mittal said the department is working closely with private firms to improve application-level and sector-specific security, with the goal of making India’s telecom ecosystem safer and more reliable for millions of users.