To curb the misuse of mobile resources in cybercrimes and financial frauds, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and State Police have blocked 28,200 mobile handsets, a PIB press release stated.
This action was taken after DoT analyzed mobile handsets that were misused in cybercrimes and found that 20 lakh numbers were used with these mobile handsets. As a result, DoT issued directions to telecom service providers to block these 28,200 mobile handsets and to immediately verify 20 lakh mobile connections linked to these mobile handsets, and disconnect failing re-verification.
The DoT, MHA, and State Police have taken this step to safeguard the integrity of telecommunications infrastructure and ensure a secure digital environment. The move is in line with the government’s efforts to address the growing threat of cybercrime and financial fraud.