Matters related to cybercrime fall under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as per the allocation of business rules. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) plays a key role in preventing the misuse of telecom resources for cyber fraud. As per the Constitution of India, 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects. To tackle cybercrime, MHA established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which provides a framework and ecosystem for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to address cybercrimes. Additionally, MHA launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) (https://cybercrime.gov.in) to allow the public to report all types of cybercrimes. In 2024, the NCRP recorded 19.18 lakh complaints, with a reported loss of ₹22,811.95 crore.
DoT, alongside Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), has developed a system to block international spoofed calls that display Indian mobile numbers. These calls, made by cybercriminals abroad, appear to originate within India due to spoofing of the Calling Line Identity (CLI).
To raise awareness about telecom frauds, DoT engages with citizens through social media campaigns, press releases, SMS campaigns, and collaborations with LEAs, banks, TSPs, and student volunteers. The department also promotes the Sanchar Saathi App/portal, which helps citizens report suspected fraud communications and stay updated on telecom safety measures.
Furthermore, DoT developed a secure Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) to share information about telecom resource misuse. The platform, onboarded by over 560 organizations including central security agencies, 35 state police, TSPs, and I4C, helps prevent telecom-related cybercrimes and financial frauds. A significant initiative launched in October 2024 to block spoofed calls has resulted in a 97% reduction in incoming spoofed calls, blocking 1.35 crore calls in just 24 hours. As of March 2025, only 4 lakh spoofed calls were blocked.
This information was provided by Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications & Rural Development, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
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