DoT in action against cybercrime: Mobile number disconnected, handsets blocked after techie reports fraud

New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has got cracking on incidents of cybercrime, carried out by online fraudsters to deceive and hoodwink people by mischievous means.

In an incident of prompt action, the DoT on Tuesday disconnected a mobile number and blocked at least 20 linked mobile devices after complaints of cyber fraud by a user, via its web portal ‘Chakshu’.

Aditi Chopra, a Bengaluru-based tech entrepreneur received a fraudulent phone call and fake credit alert on her mobile phone, days ago and she also narrated the incident on her X handle on how she narrowly escaped becoming a victim of cybercrime/fraud.

Aditi said that the fraudsters used a clever tactic to steal her money and had she not paid heed to their trickery, they could have succeeded in executing the online scam.

Taking to X, she said that while she was in office, somebody impersonating as her father’s acquaintance called her and said he was transferring money to her number as he was facing some issues.

The credit message blipped on her phone while she was still on call and the caller requested her to send back Rs 27,000 as he transferred Rs 30,000 instead of Rs 3,000.

While she was flummoxed for a moment and could have proceeded with the fund transfer because of the urgency that the caller was showing, she thought to check with her father first.

It was then she realised how the fraudster tactfully designed a fake bank message and sent it to her mobile phone, giving the impression that it was from a bank.

She escalated the matter to DOT’s Chakshu application and within days, the ‘cyber fraud gang’ was busted.

The mobile number which sent dubious message to her has been disconnected while other 20 suspicious mobile devices have been blocked to prevent further fraud.

Notably, Chakshu is an online service by the DoT, which facilitates citizens to report suspected fraud communications.

Users can register their complaints on the portal sancharsaathi.gov.in about impersonation or any misuse of services through call/SMS or WhatsApp.

The Bengaluru techie also dropped an advice for gullible customers on X, “never use the same device, on which you received the fake credit alert for accessing your bank account as that will make the system easier for scamsters.”