TRAI Issues Directive To Stop Phishing ISD Missed Calls, Fake Lottery SMSes

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.