In response to a surge in online scams and financial frauds in India, the government has blocked 70 lakh mobile numbers associated with these crimes. Measures include blocking IMEI and restricting withdrawals from suspicious accounts.
Online and financial scams are on the rise in India, with many people falling victim to these sophisticated schemes all around the nation. There have been concerning tales in recent months of people losing large sums of money—sometimes up to lakhs or even crores—to internet scammers. The Indian government has responded decisively to this rising threat by barring 70 lakh cellphone phones that are allegedly connected to financial fraud or cybercrime.
This action is consistent with other proactive measures the government is thinking of doing to reduce fraud. The IMEI, a mobile device's unique identification, is being blocked as part of these attempts, and withdrawals from accounts marked as suspicious are restricted. The intention is to stop them from being used fraudulently in the future.
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The vulnerability of "dormant" and "mule" bank accounts was brought up by Financial Services Secretary Vivek Joshi during a recent meeting with representatives from the RBI, TRAI, NPCI, and the IT ministry. These accounts have been recognised as possible targets for countermeasures in the ongoing effort to tackle the growing threat of cyber fraud in the banking sector. These accounts are distinguished by low balances and unexpected increases in activity, according to PTI.
During the conference, it was noted that, according to reports from digital intelligence platforms, 7 million mobile connections linked to financial fraud or cybercrime had already been deleted. In addition, the report says that there will be future meetings of this kind; the speaker says that the next one is scheduled for January.
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Furthermore, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is also updating its Do Not Disturb (DND) app. The goal is to tackle persistent spam calls and messages. By March 2024, the updated DND app aims to be compatible with all devices, providing users with a more effective tool to report spam calls.
In addition, The Department of Telecommunications rolling out fresh regulations for buying and selling SIM cards. The focus is on preventing scams and frauds linked to fake SIMs. These rules are set to take effect nationwide from December 1st, aiming to bring down the count of scam cases.