Trai: TRAI warns users against fraud calls threatening mobile number disconnection

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has warned mobile phone users against fraudulent calls. These scammers are reportedly calling users to deceive them by threatening mobile number disconnection. The telecom regulatory body has confirmed that it isn’t responsible for blocking or disconnecting any mobile number of any telecom customers.
In a press note (seen by Economic Times), Secretary of TRAI, V Raghunandan has said: “It has been brought to the notice of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that some companies/agencies/individuals are fraudulently asking public/customers that they are calling from TRAI and mobile numbers of the public/customers will be disconnected as the numbers’ are being used for sending unsolicited messages.”
Raghunandan noted that TRAI knows about these fraudsters lying to users that their Aadhaar numbers were used for obtaining SIM cards and were being used for illegal activities.These scammers are also trying to trick the users into joiningSkype video calls to avoid disconnection of mobile numbers, he added.
The TRAI official noted: “The public at large is hereby informed that TRAI does not block/disconnect any mobile number of any individual telecom customers. TRAI never sends any message or makes any call for disconnection of mobile numbers. TRAI has not authorized any agency to contact customers for such activities and all such calls are illegal and are to be dealt with as per law.”
He also mentioned that users should consider any call or message claiming to be from TRAI as potentially fraudulent.
How users can stay safe from these fraud calls and messages
As per Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR) 2018 of TRAI, service providers will be responsible for taking proper actions against the mobile numbers involved in making these fraud calls or sending unsolicited messages, Raghunandan added.

He also pointed out that “affected persons may take up the matter with the concerned Service Providers directly on their respective Customer Service Center numbers or National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal https:llcybercrime.gov.in or call Cyber Crime Helpline Number 1930.”
According to a report by PTI, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has also said that it does not make calls to citizens threatening disconnection. An advisory by the telecom department read: “Citizens are urged to exercise caution and not provide any personal information if they receive such calls.”