Prevention of Financial Frauds Using Voice Calls and SMS – Regulatory Prescriptions and Institutional Safeguards the rise in digital transactions has led to increased financial frauds, often exploiting customers’ mobile numbers. As mobile numbers are essential for authentication, communication of sensitive information like OTPs, and account updates, they have become a target for scammers.
To mitigate misuse, Regulated Entities (REs) must utilize the Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL) available on the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). REs should update customer mobile numbers after verification and monitor accounts linked to revoked numbers to prevent cyber fraud and misuse as “Money Mules.”
REs must provide verified customer care details to DIP for publication on the “Sanchar Saathi” portal. Additionally, they are mandated to use the ‘1600xx’ numbering series for service/transactional calls and the ‘140xx’ series for promotional calls, ensuring compliance with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) guidelines.
Key TRAI Guidelines
Registration on DLT Platform: All entities sending commercial communications must register with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform. Only registered headers, templates, and numbering series can be used for communication.
Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA): Entities must acquire customers’ explicit digital consent through TSP-provided platforms, verified using OTP, to send promotional messages even to DND-registered customers.
Security and Confidentiality: Senders are responsible for securing customer data and preventing misuse or leakage. Agreements with telemarketers should include deterrents against data misuse.
Content Templates and Headers: Entities must register minimal headers and templates with fixed and pre-tagged variable components to prevent misuse. Misuse or mixing of content types (e.g., promotional in transactional templates) may lead to penalties.
Penalties and Awareness
Violations, such as using unauthorized numbering series or unregistered templates, can result in disconnection of telecom resources for up to two years and blacklisting of the entity. Customers are encouraged to use DND registration, report spam or fraud via the “Chakshu” platform, and report cybercrime incidents to the helpline 1930.
These safeguards aim to enhance trust in digital communication, reduce fraud risks, and ensure compliance with TRAI and DoT regulations. Entities must comply by March 31, 2025.
