Government launches system to block ‘fake’ international scam calls: How will it make citizens safe

The government on Tuesday (October 22) launched a spam-tracking system that can identify and block incoming international calls posing as Indian phone numbers – a tactic often used by scammers for financial fraud in India. The system, called ‘International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System’, was launched by telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

“This is another milestone of DoT’s efforts towards building a safe digital space and protecting citizens from cyber-crime,” the government said.

How this system will protect citizens from scam calls

Cybercriminals have devised a new method to deceive and defraud individuals: international calls disguised as local Indian numbers (+91-xxxxxxxxx). By manipulating the calling line identity (CLI), which is essentially the displayed phone number, these calls appear to originate within India, even though they are actually made from abroad.

This tactic allows fraudsters to bypass suspicion and gain the trust of unsuspecting victims. These spoofed calls are then used for various malicious purposes, including:

Financial scams by tricking people into revealing sensitive financial information or making fraudulent payments; impersonation wherein they pose as government officials, law enforcement officers, or even family members to extract money or personal data.

Scammers even threaten victims with false accusations, such as involvement in illegal activities or impending arrest, to extort money or coerce them into compromising situations.

“These spoofed calls have been used for financial scams, impersonating government officials, and creating panic. There have also been cases of cyber-crime threatening disconnection of mobile numbers by DoT/TRAI officials, fake digital arrests, drugs/narcotics in courier, impersonation as police officials, arrest in sex racket etc,” the government said.

The system identifies and blocks such numbers before scammers reach potential victims. As per the government, the system has identified and blocked about 1.35 crore calls as spoofed calls in the last 24 hours, which are 90 % of all the incoming international calls.

“Indian telecom subscribers should see a significant reduction in such spoofed calls with +91-xxxxxxx numbers with implementation of this system,” it added.