Following the launch of the International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System’ on 22nd October 2024 by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to identify calls that appear to be originating from within India but are made by cyber-criminals from abroad by manipulating the Calling Line Identity (CLI). Within 24 hours of the operation of the system, about 1.35 crore or 90% of all incoming international calls were identified as spoofed calls and blocked by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), the press release stated. 

As per the latest reports,  the spoofed calls identified and blocked with Indian numbers have dipped to about 6 lakhs. 

Current status 

The fraudsters haven’t got at rest as they continue to barge into telecom spaces enjoyed by people by calling from international numbers that do not start with +91 but start with numbers such as +8, +85, +65, etc.  

Efforts to curb 

DoT has instituted a dedicated task force comprising various stakeholders that is actively working to address such spoofed calls. One of the recommendations of the task force was that Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) should display “International Call” to the subscribers whenever any call from outside the country is received. 

This will help the users to understand that such calls cannot be from Indian Authorities or organizations like TRAI, Police, Income Tax, etc. 

Efforts by Telcos 

Airtel released its spam report a few weeks back, 2.5 months after the launch of its AI-powered spam-blocking mechanism. It has claimed that its system has successfully blocked a staggering 8 billion spam calls, and 0.8 billion SMSes along with identifying around 1 million spammers every day. 

Read more about the report at: No more spam calls all day, Airtel’s AI-powered spam-blocking mechanism tramples 8 billion calls since its launch 

Safe Telecom space 

This brings about a successful shift in the Indin telecom space wherein the pain points are being targetively solved to ensure that the user experience is not imprinted by efforts of crime and deceit. This would certainly facilitate a safe and secure telecom space reducing crimes and fraud committed through phones and telecom means. 

Read about other efforts by the government at: Why is SMS Traceability Important? TRAI’s Guideline to Kick in From Dec 11 

The DoT has been taking proactive measures towards strengthening its capacity to curb the misuse of telecom resources in cyber fraud and cyber crimes. The department’s continued focus has been on tackling emerging cyber threats, securing telecom services, and providing citizens with safe and reliable communication networks.