The Central Government has blocked 669,000 SIM cards and 132,000 International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers reported by police officials to curb cybercrime, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
In a written response to a query, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar explained that the Centre, along with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), has implemented a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls that display Indian mobile numbers, appearing to be originating from within India.
“These international spoofed calls have been used by cybercriminals in recent cases, including fake digital arrests, FedEx scams, and impersonations as government and police officials,” the minister said.
He added that instructions have been issued to TSPs to block such incoming spoofed calls.
According to him, as of November 15, 2024, the government has blocked more than 669,000 fake SIM cards and 132,000 IMEIs based on reports from police authorities.
Besides, the government introduced the citizen financial cyber fraud reporting and management system, I4C, in 2021, enabling immediate reporting of financial frauds to prevent fraudsters from siphoning off funds. According to the minister, more than Rs 3,431 crore has been saved in over 9.94 lakh complaints so far.
