New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued an advisory urging citizens to report spam calls/SMS through TRAI DND App. highlighting that simply blocking numbers on personal devices does not stop spam at source.
Acting on complaints, TRAI, during the past one year, has facilitated disconnection and blacklisting of more than 21 lakh mobile numbers and about one lakh entities involved in sending spam and fraudulent messages.
When a user reports a spam call or SMS on the TRAI DND App, it allows TRAI and telecom service providers to trace, verify, and permanently disconnect the mobile numbers.
In contrast, blocking a number on phone only hides it on your personal device- it does not prevent the scammer from contacting others using new numbers, the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) said.
The DoT also expressed serious concern at the misuse of telecommunication identifiers like the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of devices with the rapid growth of mobile connectivity.
It advised people against using mobile devices with tampered IMEI numbers, using, procuring or assembled devices like modems, modules, SIM Boxes etc. which have configurable or tampered IMEIs, procuring SIM cards through fake documents, fraud or impersonation.
