The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and state police, has launched a collaborative effort to combat the misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime and financial frauds. The initiative aims to dismantle fraud networks and protect citizens from digital threats.

An analysis conducted by the MHA and state police uncovered the misuse of 28,200 mobile handsets in cybercrimes. Further investigation by the DoT revealed that a staggering 20 lakh numbers were associated with these handsets.

In response, the DoT has directed telecom service providers to block the 28,200 mobile handsets nationwide and conduct immediate re-verification of the 20 lakh mobile connections linked to them. Connections failing re-verification will be disconnected.