DoT, SEBI Sign MoU to Tackle Telecom-Linked Financial Frauds

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DoT, SEBI Sign MoU to Tackle Telecom-Linked Financial Frauds
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in tackling the misuse of telecom resources in securities market frauds and investment scams, in a move aimed at strengthening the security of India’s financial ecosystem, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Communications dated April 15, 2026.

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The agreement was signed by Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Deputy Director General of the AI and Digital Intelligence Unit (AI&DIU), DoT, and Sandip Pradhan, Whole Time Member, SEBI, in the presence of Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Member (Services), Digital Communications Commission. According to the official release, the partnership marks a significant step towards deeper convergence between telecom intelligence and financial market regulation.

Key Provisions of the DoT–SEBI Partnership

A key feature of the MoU is the establishment of a structured data-sharing framework to enable early detection and disruption of fraudulent activities. Under the arrangement, DoT will share the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) with SEBI to help identify mobile numbers exhibiting suspicious patterns through multi-dimensional analysis. Additionally, the Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL) will be shared automatically, allowing SEBI-regulated entities such as brokers and asset management companies to verify that investor accounts are linked to valid and active mobile connections.

In return, SEBI will provide inputs on telecom resources associated with accounts involved in cyber fraud, impersonation, and money mule operations, enabling timely action by telecom authorities.

The exchange of intelligence will be facilitated through DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), which connects over 1,400 stakeholders and supports real-time sharing of actionable information across institutions.

Proactive and Integrated Framework for Investor Protection

According to the Ministry, the collaboration assumes particular significance in the context of India’s rapidly expanding digital investment landscape. By integrating telecom intelligence with market surveillance systems, the MoU is expected to shift the approach from reactive enforcement to proactive prevention.

The Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, supported by inputs from DoT’s Chakshu facility under the Sanchar Saathi initiative, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies, will act as an early warning system to flag potentially fraudulent mobile connections before they are leveraged for financial scams.

Sanchar Saathi Initiative Strengthens Crackdown on Fraud

The partnership builds on DoT’s ongoing efforts under Sanchar Saathi, through which more than 8.8 million fraudulent mobile connections have been disconnected using the ASTR system. The deployment of FRI has also helped prevent financial losses estimated at Rs 2,300 crore over the past ten months.

Going forward, the MoU is expected to enable the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for coordinated action and institutional-level sharing of red-flag indicators.

“With continuous engagement and adaptive mechanisms to counter evolving cyber threats, the DoT-SEBI collaboration is poised to significantly strengthen investor protection and enhance trust in India’s digital and financial ecosystem,” the official release said.

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