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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today announce a new mechanism to effectively protecting the interest of prepaid mobile customers from the menace of missed ISD calls (wangiri calls) and calls relating to winning of prizes or lottery from international numbers.
TRAI today issued a Direction to all Mobile Service Providers (CDMA and GSM) regarding provision of ISD facility to prepaid mobile consumers and advisory to consumers through SMS at periodic intervals. TRAI also said that ISD calling facility should not be activated on prepaid SIM card without the explicit consent of the consumer.
TRAI said that it has been receiving complaints from consumers about missed calls from international telephone numbers, which are often premium numbers charging high tariff, prompting the consumers to make call to such numbers.
Also some complaints from consumers are common about calls and SMS from international numbers informing them about winning of prizes or lottery and prompting consumers to call a particular number to claim the prize or lottery money. These numbers are international numbers, which are often premium numbers charging higher tariffs. By responding to such calls/SMS the consumers have to pay unintended charges.
To protect the subscribers from unintended deduction of amount from their prepaid account, the TRAI has directed all Mobile Service providers as follows :
1. Ensure that No ISD facility is activated on pre-paid SIM without the explicit consent of the consumer.
2. Inform all prepaid subscribers having ISD facility, through SMS, within ten days of the date of issue of this direction, that ISD facility of the subscribers shall be discontinued after sixty days and if such subscribers want to continue with ISD facility, they should give their explicit consent for availing such facility within sixty days of the receipt of the SMS.
3.Discontinue, after the expiry of sixty days of the date on which the subscriber is informed through SMS, ISD facility of all such prepaid cellular mobile telephone service subscribers who have not given explicit consent for continuing with ISD facility.
4.Inform through SMS, within ten days of the date of the issue of this direction, all prepaid cellular mobile telephone service consumers not to respond to missed calls from unknown international numbers with prefix other than “+91” or calls about winning prizes or lottery and send such SMS to the consumers every six months.
5.Provide easy and transparent opt-in and opt-out facility to the consumers of the cellular mobile telephone service for activation or deactivation of ISD facility.
Nirakar Panda October 23, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Recently BSNL odisha is also in this same business. My sister has lost Rs.25 and one of my kn own person lost Rs.95 by calling to a missed ISD call number unknowingly. and this is definitely a great additional income for the Telecom service providers and for a Loss making Government Elephant like BSNL also tries its chance by NOT TAKING THE REQUEST TO DEACTIVATE ISD from prepaid account(it clearly shows the intention of telecom Operator). Really God save the BSNL cusotmers to save their money from such Nasty telecom operators.
Peeyoosh December 17, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Dear sir, this amt is not gtng to bsnl or other native networks its a big lost for our nation. I’m using 3 cnctns. I lost rs 140/- by calling 4 dfrnt numbers frm my airtel idea and bsnl. Nothing to do they never refund. Now i never reply any isd number….
dinesh September 30, 2012 at 7:30 pm
missed calls from foreign countries should be chargeble to the caller
Vikrant Dhoke September 30, 2012 at 2:30 pm
I first got such call last year in June. I advised all my facebook friends about such “Fake ISD call” fraud. The mobile company refused to register the complaint. I suspect that they are a party to these frauds.
Vikrant Dhoke September 30, 2012 at 2:21 pm
There are simpler measures – what the TRAI is doing is trying to implement an ineffective way by offering a “roundabout” guideline – beating around the bush.
Why not issue directive to the mobile comppanies to block these numbers permanently ? we need a place to report the phone numbers from where calls come.
Same for vishing, phishing calls in India from so called bank affiliates collecting personal information. We need a place to report these phone numbers and block them. Once the numbers start getting blocked, the telecom companies can take action against the subscribers.
By not making such directory of “offenders” and blocking their calls directly, all the government is doing is leaving scope open for fraud.
Ashish September 25, 2012 at 10:21 am
All,
Please beware of MTS as MTS has got the legal authority to change individual’s name and add Sir Name even if a person doesnot have. This is a MTS communication hwere in they added a middle name of their choice and started sending bills in that name?? What a stupid policy with no monitoring !
jignesh nagda September 14, 2012 at 3:30 pm
i have too many complaints against vodafone , on my number i get lottery winning sms form indias private numbers, what to do about that, i stay in mumbai, where is TRAI or DOT email id we can complaint them, how do i get to know when will i get answer or my mail has reached to rite person who will take action against such things, from last 1 year i m getting these sms, what do i do, vodafone keeps saying they have made complaint but than also now every week i get sms from lottery winning and all, what do i do, what about my privacy. has vodafone sold everything to earn by just selling sim cards those person and earnd daily new sim cards r been sold to those bulk sms senders and after they send those lottery winnins sms their incomming is barred and after few hrs those numbers are temporarily disconnected, ehat dose this mean, today 14/09/2012 at 06:00 am i got sms from vodafone number of delhi gsm sms of lottery winning what is all this , can i know, 10 days back i got sms from aircel number of delhi same of lottery winning, is vodafone doing it purposly to torcher the old customers and r doing all this to force them to get new cards as i m using this one number from last 11 years,. …..TRAI please i want answer,
please TRAI i need answer or a correct TRAI number or email id where i can make complaint
Md. Naeem Khan September 12, 2012 at 8:15 pm
The TRAI is 100% correct.Fraudulent companies be punished.I am also a victim of a bhavishyavani co.”BP-ONMOB” who deducts Rs 20/- @rS 20/-from my mobile no.9416472786 every month while I never responded or accepted any proposal. The nos. noted in SMS are fake. These are-125554020,125554005,12555392
Wangsuk Dapru September 11, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Stupid decision…TRAI should look into stopping these SMS and also make people aware by running awareness campaigns on TV/Print media/email campaign etc like how RBI/Banks do for phising etc. rather than de-activating ISD, tomorrow some similar services come in India and cust are charged for STD/local call…will TRAI de-activate STD & local calling also….
Md Mahtab Alam Ansari September 10, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Today I have also received fake lottery sms. I think operator yet not implement their filter on fake phishing sms and call.
venkat September 10, 2012 at 9:51 am
I am a postpaid user..even i m getting missed calls from other country and even SMS’s to what shall i do??
Ratan September 9, 2012 at 3:01 pm
I hav activated DND service but inspite of it i hav got lots of winnig prizes sms…dr friends if u got similar kind of sms then u just ignore it otherwise u wil going to loose ur a/c balance till it become zero..
yalang September 9, 2012 at 2:06 pm
good move by trai …. the innocent people will benefit from this…. bloodsucking people will loot exploit the poor…. eat nicely in this nation…. but still claim highly eithical ..disciplined.. dirty hearted & criminal brains..!!
Raghu September 9, 2012 at 12:46 pm
TRAI have to bring Strict rule that any offer introduced all packs should be made available to customers in online recharge within 24 hrs from the date of announcement of pack.
Siva Kovvuri September 9, 2012 at 7:12 am
One more decision from TRAI towards benefiting Operators. Now operators will start charging for activation and deactivation of ISD facility. Directive says “without the explicit consent of the consumer” but not as free activation / deactivation.
PD September 9, 2012 at 12:06 am
Very good initiative from TRAI, though belated ! The subscribers are being looted by all and sundry ! The lottery menace is a classic example !. Miss-calls originating from +92 (from Pakistan ?)etc are another method. If called back the subscribers thereafter start loosing their balances continuously ! Now a days the frequencies of unsolicited calls from numbers starting with +911400………are more, all asking for just a selective KEY PRESS to subscribe funny value added services !
Leave alone this, the subscribers get a highlighted message – “…NEW PACK ! …PACK…OK debake ACTIVATE karo ya EXIT/BACK debake CANCEL karo. Rs.30/- mth” . If one press anything other than the EXIT/BACK key, some kind of VAS get activated and lo.. Rs.30/- depleted from the main balance ! This is definitely from the on-net channel !
The subscribers prior consent SPECIFICALLY through SMS or IVR system should be a must before activation of any kind of services. Thank you, TRAI
Ratan September 8, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Good move by TRAI….
Amit Kumar September 8, 2012 at 10:50 pm
@ Sudhakar
yeah telecom operators would lose a good amount of money at the end of the financial year if they were to provide a fair & transparent system. It might be in the interest of the blood sucking telecom operators that users continue to make ISD calls whether knowingly (greed) or unknowingly, afterall they are also responsible for sharing the numbers to third parties to fill their coffer.
Sudhakar September 8, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Amit :
None of the operators are providing easy and transparent facility for deactivating unwanted VAS which causes more headache than thest missed calls and SMS. This itself shows that the stupid and %&cking trai wants to shutdown each and every service.
If it is so, then the politicians are misusing the tax money of our people in many ways. Can people stop paying any tax?. Tell me.
Amit Kumar September 8, 2012 at 9:33 pm
@ Sudhakar
@ Sudhakar
the TRAI directive to not to activate ISD facility without the explicit consent of a user is a blessing in disguise for the so called slum Indian ppl
who are illiterate mostly and respond to ISD miss calls by calling back without knowing about it. And when it comes to smart & learned users, they should not have any problem in replying the SMS sent by telecom operators for the continuation of service. This latest guideline has been issued keeping in mind for those class of ppl who you often call “slum Indians”.
P.S. TRAI has also asked telecom operators to provide easy & transparent opt-in & opt-out facility (POINT no 5)
Sudhakar September 8, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Amit,
Looks like the customer has to tell the operator once in every 60 days that he / she wants ISD facility. What the hell?. Better shutdown all mobile services and go to the STONE AGE !!!.
Ripudaman Singh September 8, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Me and my dad get miss calls from Pakistani numbers, seems like BSNL user database has been hacked by these Pakis.
Also I am getting SmS like Lottery winning SMS from Indian numbers and way2sms as well.
What can be done about both these problems?
Rajesh September 8, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Yeah today also i received msg from
+918xxxxxx26 claiming that , your mobile number has won 850,000 GB POUNDS 2012 INTERNATIONAL CIRCKET PROMO…
These operators don’t care about the DND and these type of messages thats why TRAI gives orders like this to stop.
TRAI should take severe action against IDEA network(other networks if so) for allowing commercial messages when customer is activated DND.
Jitender September 8, 2012 at 5:33 pm
I have been getting calls from people claiming as NGOs and seeking monthly fund. They asked my convenient time by which they can send over a representative to collect the amount and sign up for a monthly recurring amount. I got calls from 4 different NGOs out of which I have confirmed 1 of them as fake. I am yet to investigate the other ones. If TRAI did a similar move on this, will they ban local calls ?
Amit Kumar September 8, 2012 at 4:52 pm
@jayson rexs
Have u even read the article in full ??? It’s clearly mentioned that No ISD facility is to be activated on pre-paid SIM without the explicit consent of
the consumer. If a consumer wishes he can opt for activation of ISD facility. It’s so easy to blame India and its system without getting to the point.
Amit Kumar September 8, 2012 at 4:51 pm
@jayson rexs
Have u read the article in full ??? It’s clearly mentioned that No ISD facility
is to be activated on pre-paid SIM
without the explicit consent of
the consumer. If a consumer wishes he can opt for activation of ISD facility. It’s so easy to blame India and its system without getting to the point.
jayson rexs September 8, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Well said…instead of banning ISD why can’t they take action against such calls. Insane Indian Telecom@ Sudhakar
Asit Paul September 8, 2012 at 3:15 pm
This is a good move by TRAI. But what about those SMSes that sent to us very often from Indian Mobile Numbers asking to call an International Number to claim huge lottery prizes? These kind of sms is now increased many fold.
kavint September 8, 2012 at 2:38 pm
would trai will also help consumers by deactivating gprs facility.. some applications use access point default and we are charged at hectic price for kbs, while world moves in tbs…
i have to delete all acess points everytime i switch on mobile..
please deactivate all mms, gprs, wap facilities until we request by written to activate.. also please stop callertunes/ value added service activation by pressing buttons.. only sms should be allowed for activation…
Raghu September 8, 2012 at 2:35 pm
I Do not why TRAI is stopping ISD calls for prepaid customers. why should we apply again after 60 days for Prepaid customers. TRAI should curb the wangiri calls and not stopping ISD calls. First they did on SMS and now on ISD. but other initiatives i appreciate TRAI WORK.
Sudhakar September 8, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Now I am getting FAKE LOTTERY SMS from Indian mobile numbers only?.
What will the TRAI do?. Ban SMS all over India in a foolish manner?.
Krishnaprasanth September 8, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Its a good decision. congrats to TRAI.
Sudhakar September 8, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Deactivate ISD. Then deactivate STD. Then deactivate local and finally cancel the mobile license itself. Shame on indian telecom. First ban on SMS. Now calls.
Ritesh September 8, 2012 at 1:43 pm
nice