The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued warning against fraudulent calls impersonating the authority. This advisory was issued after TRAI was informed about several instances of pre-recorded calls being received by citizens claiming it to be from the regulator. Citizens are being threatened that their numbers will be blocked soon, and they are asked to give certain personal information.
TRAI has clarified that it does not initiate communication with customers regarding mobile number disconnection through messages or otherwise. It has also not authorised any third-party agency to contact customers for such purposes. “Therefore, any form of communication (call, message or notice) claiming to be from TRAI and threatening mobile number disconnection should be considered a potential fraudulent attempt and must not be entertained,” the body said.
The disconnection of any mobile number due to billing, KYC or misuse if any, is done by the respective telecom service provider (TSP). TRAI advised the citizens to be vigilant and to not panic if they fall prey to suspected fraudsters. It further recommended citizens to cross-verify such calls by contacting the authorised call centres or customer service centres of the respective TSP.
The authority encouraged citizens to report suspected fraudulent communications through the Chakshu facility on the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) Sanchar Saathi platform. This would help to prevent the misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime and financial fraud.
