DoT’s North Zone meet charts New Cyber Fraud Defence strategy; 4 Crore fake mobile connections disconnected
Solan/Shimla, Nov 6,
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has intensified its crackdown on cyber and telecom-related frauds, revealing that over four crore suspicious mobile connections have been disconnected across India as part of its nationwide security drive. The disclosure came during the Annual North Zone Conference on Security Related Matters, organized by the Himachal Pradesh Licensed Service Area (LSA) under the DoT, at Hotel Meghdoot, HPTDC Kiarighat, District Solan, on Thursday.
The conference, convened under the aegis of the Director General Telecom (DGT) Headquarters, brought together senior officers from all North Zone LSAs — Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh (East), and Uttar Pradesh (West). Representatives from Central and State Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) of Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Ladakh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, along with top executives from major Telecom Service Providers — Airtel, Reliance Jio, BSNL, and Vodafone Idea Ltd. — and financial sector representatives from RBI, SBI, and Paytm also participated.
Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom) and Chairman of the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), in his virtual address, emphasized the urgent need for collective efforts to safeguard India’s digital infrastructure amid rising cyber threats and financial frauds. He underscored that telecom security is central to ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and resilience of communication systems in a rapidly digitizing society.
The discussions during the conference focused on inter-agency coordination, cyber fraud prevention, lawful interception, and detection of illegal telecom setups. Key deliberations revolved around leveraging artificial intelligence-based tools and advanced monitoring mechanisms to track fraudulent mobile connections, prevent misuse of telecom resources, and support financial institutions in curbing cyber frauds.
Highlighting recent achievements, officials shared that through coordinated efforts between DoT and state police, more than 4 crore suspicious mobile connections have been disconnected, and around 6 lakh stolen mobile handsets have been traced and recovered via the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) platform. The DoT’s Sanchar Saathi initiative — comprising a web portal launched in April 2023 and a mobile app launched in January 2025 — has emerged as a key citizen tool to report lost devices, verify active mobile connections, and file complaints regarding cyber and financial frauds.
In a major step forward, the DoT has also rolled out Financial Fraud Risk Indicators (FRI), a system introduced in May 2025 to classify mobile numbers involved in financial frauds into medium, high, and very high-risk categories. The framework provides real-time alerts to banks and financial institutions, enabling them to detect suspicious transactions and warn customers in advance.
The conference was attended by Sunita Chandra, Director General Telecom, and Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Member (Services), DCC, along with Additional Director Generals Telecom from the seven LSAs and senior officers from DoT Headquarters. Addressing the participants, Chandra highlighted that telecom security extends beyond systems and technologies — it is equally about people, awareness, and collaboration. She stressed that safeguarding India’s telecom networks requires shared responsibility between the government, industry, and citizens.
The day-long event included technical sessions and presentations on the use of Sanchar Saathi modules such as Chakshu and CEIR, strengthening cyber response frameworks through the Telecom Cyber Security Incident Response Team (T-CSIRT), and the role of the Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) in intelligence-led investigations.
The conference concluded with a reaffirmed commitment to build a secure, resilient, and citizen-friendly telecom ecosystem. Officials emphasized that sustained coordination between service providers, regulators, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies will be key to achieving the vision of a cyber-secure and digitally empowered India.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
