Government issues public advisory on malicious calls

Government on Friday issued a public advisory on malicious calls advising everyone not to share any personal information if receiving calls threatening disconnection as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) does not make calls to citizens threatening disconnection.

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The development comes after the DoT received complaints from citizens receiving calls asking them that their phones would get switched off and numbers disconnected in the next two hours until they shared certain information.

“DoT is alerting citizens about a surge in malicious calls claiming that mobile numbers will be disconnected within two hours by the DoT,” the government said in a statement. “These calls are fraudulent attempts to deceive and potentially exploit individuals.”

DoT is the nodal agency for formulating policies, programmes, and regulatory frameworks for the telecommunications sector in India, committed to ensuring the security and well-being of citizens, the DoT strives to provide reliable and secure communication services across the nation, it said.

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“Do not share any personal information if you receive a call threatening disconnection. Verify the authenticity of such calls with your service providers. Be aware that the DoT does not communicate disconnection warnings via phone calls. Any such call should be treated as suspicious,” it said.

It also suggested the citizens to report any suspicious calls at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in).

“The DoT emphasises the importance of staying vigilant, verifying information, and promptly reporting any suspicious activity. The Department is working closely with law enforcement agencies to address these fraudulent calls and protect citizens from potential exploitation,” it added.

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