Union Minister for Communications led a stakeholder meeting alongside the secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as part of the Sanchar Saathi initiative.
So far, over 8.2 million fraudulent mobile connections have been terminated, and more than 3.5 million devices reported lost or stolen have been successfully blocked. Moreover, the system has managed to intercept 13.5 million spoofed international calls within just a day of activation, achieving a 97 per cent drop in such call attempts.
Further, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools like AI and facial recognition-based subscriber tracking and redressal (ASTR), along with feedback from citizens and institutional partners, the platform has enabled the deactivation of more than 47 million fraudulent connections. Additionally, 0.51 million handsets have been blocked, 2.446 million WhatsApp accounts disengaged, and 0.02 million bulk SMS operators blacklisted for their involvement in cyber fraud schemes.
The Sanchar Saathi programme, designed with a citizen-first approach to digital security, incorporates a suite of advanced tools such as the central equipment identity register (CEIR) for blocking lost or stolen mobile devices, the digital intelligence platform (DIP), AI-driven systems like ASTR which identifies connections obtained through forged documentation and the financial fraud risk indicator (FRI) to detect and deter financial frauds.
Presently, Sanchar Saathi has brought together a coalition of 620 organisations including national agencies, state police departments, telecom service providers, and the GSTN forming a robust network to collectively tackle telecom-related threats and digital frauds across India.
