The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued an advisory to citizens today regarding calls impersonating the DoT and threatening to deactivate people’s mobile numbers for participating in illegal activities.
The DoT has also published an advisory regarding WhatsApp calls from foreign-origin mobile numbers, such as 92, that impersonate government officials and defraud individuals.
According to an official release from the Ministry of Communications, “The DoT has issued an advisory to citizens that calls are being received by citizens wherein callers, in the name of the DoT, are threatening that all of their mobile numbers would be disconnected or that their mobile numbers are being misused in some illegal activities.”
According to the statement, fraudsters use such calls to scare people and acquire personal information in order to commit cybercrime or financial fraud.
The DoT does not authorise anyone to conduct such calls on its behalf, and it has warned individuals to remain watchful and not share any information they get from such calls.
The Department of Transport has also asked citizens to report cybercrime or financial fraud to the cybercrime hotline at 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in.
Such proactive reporting assists the Department of Transportation in preventing the misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime, financial fraud, and other purposes.
“Citizens can check the mobile connections in their name at ‘Know Your Mobile Connections’ facility of the Sanchar Saathi portal and report any mobile connection not taken by them or not required,” according to the press release.
