India’s fight against cyber fraud has reached a new milestone with the disconnection of 39.43 lakh mobile numbers nationwide. Adding to the tally, 2.27 lakh handsets and 1.31 lakh SMS templates have been blacklisted, according to details shared by DoT Minister of State Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar in Parliament.
At the heart of this operation is the DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), a sophisticated tool to detect and neutralize telecom misuse in scams. Complementing it is the ‘Sanchaar Saathi’ initiative, offering a web portal and app where citizens can flag dubious communications via the ‘Chakshu’ reporting system.
The minister clarified the dual-track approach: ‘Sanchaar Saathi’ targets near-miss frauds, while I4C manages cases with real monetary losses. Re-verification is standard before punitive steps, ensuring fairness, and all proceedings are publicly viewable on the dashboard.
Citizen vigilance has been pivotal—7.7 lakh reports led to the massive blacklistings. DIP intel prompts telecom providers, banks, and apps to act on associated profiles.
Financial safeguards like the FRI have thwarted over ₹1,000 crore in potential fraud via real-time interventions. Meanwhile, WhatsApp banned 28 lakh accounts linked to fraudulent numbers.
As cyber threats proliferate, this coordinated response underscores the government’s commitment to a secure digital India, encouraging widespread public participation in fraud prevention.
