PMO tells DoT to double down on mobile fraud

Kolkata: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to strictly enforce mandatory biometric Aadhaar verification before sale of mobile connections across India as part of the government's efforts to combat cybercrime and digital fraud, and rein in abuse of national telecom resources.

As per the minutes of a recent telecom sector review meeting, the PMO asked DoT to take stern action against errant SIM card sellers flouting legal provisions.

"The DoT was told to ensure that no SIM card be issued without biometric Aadhaar verification and was also asked to closely collaborate with law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to penalise mobile fraudsters," a person aware of the discussions said.


ET has seen a copy of the meeting minutes.

The DoT, on its part, is using AI-based tools to generate digital intelligence that is being shared with LEAs, basis which action is being taken via telcos against errant sellers of mobile connections across the country. "The DoT is working in close coordination with all national LEAs as well as those in the states. Digital intelligence generated through various AI-based tools are being shared with LEAs through the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP)," a senior telecom department official told ET.

The DIP is a secure online platform for sharing of information relating to misuse of national telecom resources among stakeholders for prevention of cybercrime and financial fraud. The DoT has also developed AI tools that help identify mobile connections taken using fake/forged documents. Once identified, such mobile connections along with telecom resources and mobile handsets used in such fraudulent activity are being weeded out by the government.

"Errant SIM card sellers are being closely analysed and information is shared for initiating action via telecom operators and LEAs against such sellers. As many as 365 FIRs across India have been lodged against the errant SIM card sellers," the DoT official cited said.

At present, the DIP hosts a list of disconnected mobile connections on a near real-time basis and also provides reasons for such disconnections. This enables stakeholders to take appropriate action, including disengaging all associated services to these blacklisted mobile numbers.

Till end-December 2024, DoT had disconnected 26.7 million numbers, basis feedback from the citizen-centric Sanchar-Saathi portal, data shared on the DIP platform and internal AI and big data-based analysis.

During previous investigations by national LEAs, it had been noted that there were several instances where a single cell phone was used with innumerable SIMs to carry out cybercrime and online financial fraud.