The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued directions to telecom service providers for pan India blocking of 28,200 mobile handsets for misuse in cybercrimes, the Ministry of Communications said on Friday.

The DoT, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and State Police have joined hands to curb the misuse of telecom resources in cyber-crime and financial frauds. This collaborative effort aims to dismantle networks of fraudsters and protect citizens from digital threats.

“Analysis carried out by MHA and State Police have revealed that 28,200 mobile handsets were misused in cybercrimes. The DoT further analyzed and found that a staggering 20 lakh numbers were used with these mobile handsets. Subsequently, DoT issued directions to telecom service providers for pan India blocking of 28,200 mobile handsets and to carry out immediate reverification of 20 lakh mobile connections linked to these mobile handsets and disconnect failing re-verification,” the Ministry said.

The unified approach demonstrates a shared commitment towards public safety and to safeguard the integrity of telecommunications infrastructure and ensure a secure digital environment.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India has disconnected a phone number used in a financial scam, as well as blocked 20 mobile handsets associated with the number, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The action comes after a user reported financial fraud on ‘X’ stating that she had received an SMS in the exact form as bank credit SMS. The user later mentioned that the fraudster demanded back some amount of money from her saying that extra money had been credited to her account.

In a post on X, the Department of Telecommunications said, “Mobile number is disconnected, and 20 associated mobile handsets have been blocked for misuse in cybercrime/Financial Fraud. If you observe any such incidents, please immediately report suspected fraud to Chakshu.”

Chakshu facilitates citizens to report suspected fraud communications with the intention of defrauding telecom service users for cyber-crime, financial fraud, non-bonafide purposes like impersonation or any other misuse through calls, SMS or WhatsApp.

A few examples of suspected fraud communications are communication related to Bank Accounts / Payment Wallets / SIM / Gas connections / Electricity connections / KYC update/expiry/deactivation, impersonation as Government official / relative, sextortion related etc.

According to DoT, “If you have already lost money due to financial fraud or are a victim of cyber-crime, please report at cyber crime helpline number 1930 or website https://www.cybercrime.gov.in. The Chakshu facility does not handle financial fraud or cyber-crime cases.”