DoT’s Big Action Against Fake Calls, 2 Million Mobile Numbers, 17,000 WhatsApp Accounts Disconnected

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has taken a major step to crack down on cybercrime and fake international calls by disconnecting over 2 million fake mobile calls in an initiative to curb fraudulent activities.

The Department of Defense said the spoofed international calls and cybercrime originated from Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The department has identified around 4.8 lakh fake mobile calls operating in Southeast Asian countries and disconnected 2 lakh such calls. It was also found that for the remaining 2.8 thousand such mergers are under investigation.

In addition to targeting mobile calls, the department also identified 6,200 phones involved in these fraudulent activities and blocked them to curb their misuse.

“This crackdown comes after the launch of the International Fake Call Prevention System, reflecting DoT’s proactive measures to ensure the security of India’s digital and financial ecosystems,” the government statement said.

#I4Cin collaboration with DoT, successfully blocked 17,000 WhatsApp accounts used by Southeast Asian cybercriminals. The initiative aims to dismantle offshore criminal networks and strengthen Indian criminal networks #Digitalsecurity.#AapkaCyberDost #CyberDost #Cybersecurity pic.twitter.com/HRommsTTC6

— Cyber ​​Dost (@Cyberdost) November 21, 2024

In a post on X, the DoT also said that the government has blocked 17,000 WhatsApp accounts used by cybercriminals from Southeast Asia. The government said the initiative was aimed at dismantling maritime criminal networks and ensuring the country’s digital security.

“I4C, in collaboration with DoT, successfully blocked 17,000 WhatsApp accounts used by cybercriminals in Southeast Asia. The initiative aims to dismantle foreign criminal networks and strengthen India’s digital security,” Cyber ​​Dost, the government’s cybercrime awareness officer, said in a post.