The Department of Telecommunication has disconnected as many as 78.33 lakh mobile connections across the country after it was found during the verification that these connections were obtained by producing forged documents.
In a written reply to a question regarding the number of mobile connections obtained via fake documents or involved in cybercrime, in the Lok Sabha, the Minister for State for Communication and Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chadra Sekhar, said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has developed an AI-based tool for identification of mobile connections obtained on fake documents.
"Based on the analysis, 78.33 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected by the telecom service providers after re-verification. Further, the Minister said 6.78 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected based on the reporting for involvement in cybercrime."
"In order to strengthen the existing Know Your Customer (KYC) framework for issuing mobile connections to subscribers, DoT has now mandated telecom licensees to register their Point of Sale (PoS) (franchisee, distributors, and agents), who enroll customers and issue SIMs on behalf of licensees," the Minister said.
These guidelines, inter alia, mandate:
- Indisputable verification of each PoS.
- Biometric verification of PoS.
- Physical verification of the address of the place of business and local residence of PoS.
- Police verification of PoS in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and North East License Service Areas (LSAs).
- The signing of inter-se agreements having specific provisions related to the scope and duties of PoS, area of operation (limited within the LSA), and penal action for violation including termination of the agreement.
- Blacklisting of PoS across all the TSPs if documents/ information given by PoS is false, forged and on the directions of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs)/ LSAs.
- Re-verification of all mobile subscribers enrolled by that blacklisted PoS.
- A penalty of Rs 10 lakh per PoS per instance if any existing PoS is found enrolling customers without registration after 31.01.2025; etc.
Further, DoT has also amended existing KYC instructions, which include the discontinuation of earlier bulk connections framework and the introduction of business connections framework where KYC of each end-user is made mandatory before activation. Further, a robust KYC process for Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Swap /replacement has also been introduced. Paper-based KYC process has also been discontinued w.e.f. 01.01.2024.
System devised to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls
Earlier on Tuesday, the government informed the Lok Sabha that the Central Government and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) had devised a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers that appear to be originating within India.
"Cybercriminals have made such international spoofed calls in recent cases of fake digital arrests, FedEx scams, impersonation as government and police officials, etc.," the Minister said, adding, "Directions have been issued to the TSPs for blocking of such incoming international spoofed calls."
